Retrospective study of 1251 maxillofacial fractures in children and adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Fractures of the facial skeleton are relatively uncommon in children and adolescents, and only a few reports review a significant number of patients. The authors performed a retrospective study to analyze the different characteristics of such fractures in the pediatric population of Portugal.


METHODS
The authors reviewed the clinical records of a series of 912 patients 18 years of age or younger with facial fractures treated by the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery and of Maxillofacial Surgery, São João Hospital, in Porto, Portugal, between the years 1993 and 2002. The following parameters were evaluated: age; sex; cause of accident; hour, day, and month of hospital admission; location and type of fractures; presence and location of associated injuries; treatment methods; length of in-hospital stay; and complications.


RESULTS
A total of 1251 fractures were treated. The ratio of boys to girls was 3.1:1. Patients between 16 and 18 years old were the major group (47.8 percent). Motor vehicle accident was the most common cause of injury (53.3 percent of patients). Mandibular fracture was the most common type of fracture (48.8 percent). Associated injuries occurred in 558 patients (64.5 percent).


CONCLUSIONS
Pediatric facial fractures are usually associated with severe trauma. The number of fractures caused by automobile accidents has decreased (p < 0.05). The incidence of this type of fracture is high in Portugal.
Ferreira
Pedro Costa
PC
Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Hospital de São João, Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal. pedro.oferreira@mail.pt
Amarante
José Manuel
JM
Silva
Pedro Natividade
PN
Rodrigues
Jorge Manuel
JM
Choupina
Miguel Pereira
MP
Silva
Alvaro Catarino
AC
Barbosa
Rui Filipe
RF
Cardoso
Maria Augusta
MA
Reis
Jorge Cruz
JC
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology; D009915:Orbit / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000293:injuries; D015050:Zygoma / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery