title: Retrospective clinical study of mandible fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this article is to analyze the incidence, demographic distribution, type, and etiology of mandible fractures that were treated by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Kyung Hee University Dental Hospital from January 2002 to December 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive and analytic retrospective study that evaluated 735 patients that were treated for mandible fracture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study included 1,172 fractures in 735 patients. The ratio of male to female patients was 5.45 : 1; the maximum value was in patients between 20 and 29 years (38.1%) and the minimum in patients over 70 years old. The monthly distribution of facial fractures peaked in the fall and was lower during winter. No specific correlation was identified based on the annual fracture distribution. Among the 735 fracture patients, 1.59 fracture lines were observed per patient. The most frequent site was the symphysis, which accounted for a total of 431 fractures, followed by the angle (348), condyle (279), and body (95). The symphysis with angle was the most common site identified in combination with fracture and accounted for 22.4%, followed by symphysis with condyle (19.8%). The angle was the most frequent site of single fractures (20.8%). The major cause of injury was accidental trauma (43.4%), which was followed by other causes such as violence (33.9%), sports-related accidents (10.5%), and traffic accidents (10.1%). Fracture incidents correlated with alcohol consumption were reported between 10.0%-26.9% annually.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although mandible fracture pattern is similar to the previous researches, there is some changes in the etiologic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hai-Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Baek-Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Dae
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Jun
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Sig
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Joo-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ohe
keywords: Alcohol drinking; Jaw fractures; Mandible; Mandibular fractures; Trauma