Jaw fractures diagnosed and treated at Malmö University Hospital: a comparison of three decades.
The aim was to report the distribution, frequency and aetiology of jaw fractures in patients treated at the University Hospital, Malmö, 1993-2003 and to compare two previous studies from 1952-1962 and 1975-1985. In 1993-2003, 461 patients, 137 women (mean age 42 years; range 15-82) and 324 men (mean age 28 years; range 17-59) were diagnosed and treated. Women were significantly older than men (P<0.001). The most frequent cause of jaw fractures was falls in women (45%). In men, interpersonal violence (46%) was most common followed by road traffic accidents (RTAs) (24%) mostly involving bicycles (14%). The frequency of falls in women and men was significantly different (P<0.001) as was the difference between violence in men and women (P<0.001). The proportion of fractures caused by RTAs was significantly higher in 1952-1962 than in 1993-2003 (P<0.001). There was a significant increase in the proportion of fractures caused by violence between the two studies (P=0.007). In 1993-2003 the proportion of fractures in women due to falls was significantly higher than in 1952-1962 (P=0.006). Violence has replaced RTAs as the main cause for jaw fractures in men; for women falling is the commonest cause.
Hallmer
F
F
Department of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. fredrik.hallmer@mah.se
Anderud
J
J
Sunzel
B
B
Güner
N
N
Andersson
G
G
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007572:Jaw Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult