title: A prospective study on elderly patients with facial fractures in a developing country.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper describes the incidence, aetiology, treatment and complications of facial fractures seen among the elderly in a developing country.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study evaluated 85 patients over 60 years of age who were diagnosed with facial fractures over a period of 12 months in 23 public hospitals nationwide.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The elderly accounted for 4.5% of the total number of patients seen with facial fractures during the study period. Elderly men outnumbered women by a ratio of 4.31:1. Of the elderly patients, 35.3% had at least one medical condition, the commonest of which was hypertension. Road traffic accidents were the main cause of injury. The fractures were treated in only 26.2% of cases. Complications were uncommon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With a low incidence, and conservative treatment often being practised, the healthcare burden of treating facial fractures among the elderly in Malaysia is at present still low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Melaka Hospital, Melaka, Malaysia. sjroyan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Stephen Joseph
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Royan
authors.forename: Abdul Latif
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.forename: Ferdinand Jesudian
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kovilpillai
authors.forename: Nooral Zeila
authors.initials: NZ
authors.lastname: Junid
authors.forename: Wan Mahadzir Wan
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Mustafa
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data