Facial fractures in the elderly: a retrospective study in a hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
BACKGROUND
An increasing incidence of maxillofacial trauma in the elderly has been noted, as a consequence of increased longevity, resulting in a higher percentage of elderly people in the population.


METHODS
A retrospective study was undertaken to assess facial fractures in elderly presenting during the period 2000 to 2002 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The data collected included age, gender, etiology, date of trauma, maxillofacial trauma, anatomic site of fracture, and treatment. The statistical analysis involved evaluation of measures of central tendency and variability and calculation of proportions.


RESULTS
It encountered 165 facial fractures in 122 elderly aged 60 years or older. The majority of fractures were sustained by elderly in the age group 60 years to 69 years. Falls was the major cause of trauma followed by car accidents. The mandible was found to be the most common fractured bone in the facial skeleton, followed by the zygomatic complex. A conservative approach was accomplished in the most of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Gender was associated with the presence or absence of fractures and with the etiology. There was no association between age and fractures. No association was found between etiology and age for women and men. The proportion of fractures of the zygomatic arch, mandible body, and parasymphysis treated surgically were statistically higher than the same proportion among the cases of other fractures. The fractures of the nose were more often treated conservatively than other fractures.
Chrcanovic
Bruno Ramos
BR
Maria Amélia Lins Hospital, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. brunochrcanovic@hotmail.com
Souza
Leandro Napier
LN
Freire-Maia
Belini
B
Abreu
Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães
MH
D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric