title: [Pediatric facial fractures. Characteristics of Portuguese population].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fractures of the facial skeleton are relatively uncommon in children and adolescents, and there are only few reports that review a significative number of patients. We performed a retrospective study to analyse the different characteristics of such fractures in the pediatric population in the north of Portugal.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the clinical and the surgical records of a series of 247 patients younger than 19 years, that were submitted to operation due to facial fractures by the Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Service of São João Hospital, Oporto (Portugal) between 1993 and 2002. The following parameters were evaluated: age, sex, cause of the accident, time 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
  Surgical treatment of 325 fractures was performed. The ratio of boys to girls was 3.3:1. The majority of injuries occurred in patients with 16 to 18 years old. Motor-vehicle accident (MVA) was the most common cause of injuries (57.1%). Mandibular fractures were the most common (62.5%). Associated injuries occurred in 63.2% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric facial fractures are usually associated with severe trauma. Although MVA was the most frequent cause of fractures, this has decreased. The incidence of these type of fractures is high in Portugal.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgia Plástica, Reconstrutiva e Estética, Hospital de São João, Porto.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Natividade
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Augusta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amarante
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery