a cross-sectional study of mandibular fracture in southern iran: 1997–'98

background: the fracture of the mandible is the second most common facial bone injury.  when this injury occurs, it could be serious with complications that may even result in death.   objective: to evaluate the current trends in mandibular fracture (mf) in southern iran.   methods: in a cross-sectional study, several parameters including age, sex, cause of fracture, anatomical site of fracture, presenting symptoms and sings of patients and associated injuries were determined in 162 patients with  facial bone injuries referring to khalili hospital, the referral center in shiraz, southern iran.  51 of 162 patients had sustained 77 independent lines of fractures in their mandibles.   results: the greatest number of mandibular fractures occurred in patients aged between 11 and 30 years with male/female ratio of 5.25/1.  motor vehicle accident was found to be the leading etiological factor (39.1%) followed by falls (33.3%) and violence (21.5%).  facture of the condyle of mandible was the most frequently type of fracture followed by fracture of the body, angle, symphysis, parasmphysis, alveolar region, coronoid process and ramus.  approximately, 40% of the studied patients also suffered from injuries to other body organs, most commonly to their eyes, limbs and brain.     conclusion:  the epidemiology of mandibular fracture in our region is far different from other reports.