title: An institutional experience in the management of pediatric mandibular fractures: A study of 74 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In maxillofacial surgery, children represent a special group of patients, as they have significant differences from adults as far as the facial skeleton is concerned. The etiology and epidemiology of pediatric trauma involving the facial skeleton has been reported in a large series of patients. Nevertheless, few of these reports review large numbers of pediatric patients, and little is known about treatment protocols for fractures in children. The aims of this study were to retrospectively analyze the treatment methods and outcomes of pediatric mandibular fractures in children and young adolescents up to the age of 15 years, to discuss the findings, and to propose treatment protocols for maxillofacial fractures in childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study retrospectively analyzed the treatment methods and outcome of the pediatric mandibular fractures in children and young adolescents' up to the age of 15 years over a period of 5 years. All patients were followed up for an average period of 18 months, with a maximum follow-up of 2 years. A total of 74 patients were treated for mandibular and dentoalveolar fractures in children upto the age of 15 years at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai from 2007 to 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AND CONCLUSIONS: The treatment methods used at our centre had satisfactory outcomes at the end of a follow-up period of 2 years. Reported complications were minimal. Our results confirm the usefulness of open reduction and plate fixation in older children (>12 years of age) and a conservative approach in younger children (≤12 years of age) in treating mandibular fractures.
authors.affiliation: Department of OMFS, Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai, 400008, India. Electronic address: drnnandrade@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Neelam N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Department of OMFS, Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai, 400008, India. Electronic address: smritibora@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Smriti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choradia
authors.affiliation: Department of OMFS, Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai, 400008, India. Electronic address: dr.ganapathysriram@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ganapathy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sriram S
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000293:injuries; D001860:Bone Plates; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000070628:Closed Fracture Reduction / Q000379:methods*; D000072700:Conservative Treatment / Q000379:methods; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019248:Jaw Fixation Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000293:injuries; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Fracture; Mandible; Pediatric