Changing trends in causes and patterns of facial fractures in children

: Thoren H, Iso-Kungas P, Iizuka T, Lindqvist C, Tornwall J

Publisher: MOSBY-ELSEVIER

: 2009

: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and Endodontology

: ORAL SURGERY ORAL MEDICINE ORAL PATHOLOGY ORAL RADIOLOGY AND ENDODONTOLOGY

: ORAL SURG ORAL MED O

: 107

: 3

: 318

: 324

: 7

: 1079-2104

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tripleo.2008.09.024

Objective. To review the epidemiology of facial fractures in children and to analyze whether it has changed over time.Study design. Retrospective review of records of children aged <= 15 years diagnosed for fracture during 2 10-year periods.Results. A total of 378 children were diagnosed with fractures, 187 in 1980-1989 and 191 in 1993-2002. The proportion of children with mandibular fractures decreased by 13.6 percentage-points from the first period to the second, whereas the proportion of patients with midfacial fractures increased by 18.7 percentage-points. Assault as a causative factor increased by 5.5 percentage-points, almost exclusively among children aged 13-15 years, with a high percentage (23.5%).Conclusions. Recognition of a change in fracture patterns over time is probably due to the increased use of computerized tomographic scanning. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2009;107:318-324)