title: Treating maxillofacial trauma for over half a century: how can we interpret the changing patterns in etiology and management?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to reveal the changes in the etiology and treatment of maxillofacial fractures in Greece over the period of the last 53 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A patient-oriented retrospective review of clinical and epidemiologic data was performed to include all patients with maxillofacial fractures treated in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of KAT General Hospital of Athens. We reviewed the causes of these injuries, their sites, and treatments (outcome variables) over the last 28 years and compared the results with those of a similar study from the same Department from 1960 to 1984 (predictor variable).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The zygomatic complex was the most frequent fracture site in the recent years, whereas the condyle and symphysis were the most common ones in the early period. We observed a remarkable increase of injuries from interpersonal violence (P < .0001) and a divergence from conservative treatment (P < .001) with time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Universal agreement exists on the rapidly rising prevalence of facial fractures in the developed countries as a result of physical violence, and the present study confirmed this conclusion. Throughout the last 50 years, there has been a constant tendency of surgeons to adopt the concept of open reduction and internal fixation.
authors: Head, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, K.A.T General Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Rallis
authors: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Northampton General Hospital, UK. Electronic address: Pan_stath@yahoo.gr.
authors: Panagiotis
authors: P
authors: Stathopoulos
authors: Specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, K.A.T General Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
authors: Dimosthenis
authors: D
authors: Igoumenakis
authors: Trainee, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, K.A.T General Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
authors: Christos
authors: C
authors: Krasadakis
authors: Consultant, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, K.A.T General Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
authors: Constantinos
authors: C
authors: Mourouzis
authors: Consultant, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, K.A.T General Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
authors: Michalis
authors: M
authors: Mezitis
mesh_terms: D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008446:Maxillofacial Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015995:Prevalence; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data