title: Trends in Le Fort Fractures at a South American Trauma Care Center: Characteristics and Management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the trends in Le Fort (maxillary) fractures in patients seen at a South American trauma care center based on the characteristics and management of these.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of all patients with facial fractures seen at a trauma hospital during a six-year period, 50 (6.6 %) presented with Le Fort fractures. Medical charts were reviewed for characteristics presented and management performed. To improve the analyses, computed tomography and intraoperative findings were used. Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics and the likelihood ratio test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fractures were Le Fort II (52 %), Le Fort I (22 %), Le Fort type-associated (20 %) and Le Fort III (6 %). Male patients (90 %) in their third decade of life (38 %) were more frequent (p = 0.022). Traffic accidents (56 %) were the major etiologic factor (p = 0.048). There were 1.4 additional facial fractures per patient, with predominance of zygoma fractures (36.5 %). Most of the cases were managed by open reduction (60 %) (p = 0.015) with the subciliary approach (42.7 %) (p = 0.001). The 1.5-mm system was the most used fixation and the zygomaticomaxillary suture the most frequent location (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the most common patient with a Le Fort fracture is an adult male, with a Le Fort II fracture due to a traffic accident requiring surgical fixation on zygomaticomaxillary suture.
authors.affiliation: Hospital M. "Dr. Arthur R. de Saboya", São Paulo, SP Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Halak
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Oliveira-Campos
authors.affiliation: Surgery Sector, Nove de Julho University, São Paulo, SP Brazil.
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lauriti
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo - USP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2227, São Paulo, SP 05508-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Kazuo
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo - USP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2227, São Paulo, SP 05508-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Rubens Camino
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Júnior
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo - USP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2227, São Paulo, SP 05508-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: João Gualberto C
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Luz
keywords: Epidemiologic studies; Fracture fixation; Maxillary fractures; Maxillofacial injuries