title: Incidence and pattern of maxillofacial fractures in children and adolescents: a 10 years retrospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the demographic characteristics of maxillofacial fractures between children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was composed of all children (less than 12 years) and adolescents (between 13 and 18 years old) who presented with maxillofacial fractures during a 10-year period (2000-2009). The age, gender, time of injury, mechanism of trauma, location and pattern of fracture, associated injuries, and treatment methods were recorded and analyzed. Data analysis included Chi-Square test, Fisher exact test. p less than 0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-nine children (male-to-female ratio, 1.63:1) and 113 adolescents (male-to-female ratio, 3.52:1) sustained 389 maxillofacial fractures. Children were more involved in falls compared to adolescents (44.3% versus 23.9%, p=0.003), while adolescents sustained more assault-related injuries (13.3% versus 2.5%, p=0.010) and motorcycle accidents (22.1% versus 8.9%, p=0.015) compared to children. Children suffered mandibular fractures proportionally higher than adolescents (93.1% versus 64.5%, p<0.001). Adolescents sustained mid-facial fractures more frequently than children (35.5% versus 6.9%, p<0.001). Severe facial fractures occurred more in adolescents compared to children (35.4% versus 14.1%, p=0.001). Open reduction was done more in adolescents than in children (92.3% versus 74.6%, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence and pattern of maxillofacial fractures in children were remarkably different from that in adolescents. Preventive measures and treatment plan should be designed with differences between the two groups in mind.
authors: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology Hubei-MOST & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors: Hai-Hua
authors: HH
authors: Zhou
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Ongodia
authors: Qi
authors: Q
authors: Liu
authors: Rong-Tao
authors: RT
authors: Yang
authors: Zu-Bing
authors: ZB
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008446:Maxillofacial Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology*