title: Etiology and patterns of pediatric mandibular fractures in Portugal: a retrospective study of 10 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the pattern of occurrence of mandibular fractures in the pediatric population in Portugal.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study reviews the records of patients 18 years of age or younger from the 10-year period 1993 to 2002. Age, gender, anatomic site, cause of the accident, weekly and monthly variation, location and type of fractures, presence and location of associated injuries, treatment methods, and complications were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During this 10-year period, 521 patients with 681 mandibular fractures were treated. Motor-vehicle accident (MVA) was the most common (53.9% patients) cause of fracture. Almost half of the patients (48.8%) were in the oldest age group (16 to 18 years old). The condyle of the mandible was involved in 31.0% of the fractures. Maxillomandibular (MMF) fixation was used in 534 (78.4%) fractures. Overall mortality in this series was 0.6% (3 patients); mortality was caused by multiple traumas, mainly head trauma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to reinforce legislation aimed to prevent MVA and the total enforcement of existing laws to reduce maxillofacial injuries among children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Hospital de São João, Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal. pedro.oferriera@mail.pt
authors.forename: Pedro Costa
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Amarante
authors.forename: Alvaro Catarino
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: José Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Maria Augusta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Jorge Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000293:injuries; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D019248:Jaw Fixation Techniques; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000293:injuries; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data