Pattern of maxillofacial trauma in children and adolescents: A three-year retrospective study

Background/Aim. Understanding the epidemiological aspects associated with maxillofacial traumas (MFTs) is necessary to develop effective preventive and protective strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the age-related characteristics and pattern of MFTs in patients under 18 years of age. Methods. A retrospective study analyzed clinical data from individuals aged 0-18 years with MFTs presenting to the emergency department over a three-year period. Data were related to epidemiological aspects such as age, gender, types of trauma, and type of bone fracture. ? descriptive statistics of a data set and a ?2 test for categorical variables were used. Results. A total of 418 patients with MFT were included in this retrospective study. The mean age of the patients was 8.5 ? 5.5 years, and the mean Glasgow Coma Scale score was 14.7 ? 1.4. The most common type of bone fracture was cranial fracture (87.31%). The most common reasons for admission were assault (24.8%) in male patients and fall (79.2%) in female patients (p = 0.009 in both cases). Ad-missions peaked in August (11%), on weekdays (73.6%), and between 4:00 pm and midnight (49.4%). Consultations were requested for 63.4% of the cases, and the most frequent requests were at the Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Department (51.67%), especially for females (54.7%), and due to falls (67.4%). More consultation requests were sent for the patients from the 0-6 age group (66.5%). Conservative treatments were applied to 61% of all cases. The patients from the 0-6 age group (58.9%) were treated more frequently in surgical and intensive care units (p = 0.001), while the patients from the 7-12 (40%) and 13-18 (35.7%) age groups received conservative treatment more frequently (p = 0.001). The majority of patients aged 0-3 years (49.7%) were treated in surgical and intensive care units (p < 0.05). Conclusion. In pediatric patients in T?rkiye, MFTs were most prevalent in the 0-3 age group, and MFTs were most often caused by falls. The fractures most frequently involved cranial bones. The findings of the study provide significant insights for defining preventive and health-promoting policies.