Etiology and pattern of maxillofacial injuries in the Armed Forces of Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE To determine the etiology and pattern of maxillofacial injuries in the Armed Forces of Pakistan in terms of anatomical distribution of injuries. DESIGN A descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY January 2001 to Jan 2004 at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, AFID, Rawalpindi. PATIENTS AND METHODS Three hundred consecutive patients of Armed Forces of Pakistan with maxillofacial injuries reporting to AFID and admitted to the hospital or treated as out-patients in the oral surgery clinic, were included in this study. Isolated nasal bone and frontal sinus fractures were excluded from the study. Anatomical distribution, frequency and etiology of fractures, rank at job and occupational as well as personal hobbies were recorded. Descriptive analyses were used to determine mean, standard deviation, percentage and range values. RESULTS The most frequent bone fractured was the mandible, which accounted for 159 cases (53%). The zygomatic complex was fractured in 51 cases (17%), the maxilla in 12 cases (4 %), and the alveolar process in 21 cases (7%). The most common cause was road traffic accident (168 cases; 56%), followed by accidental fall (69 cases; 23%), gunshot injuries (27 cases; 9%), sports related injuries (15 cases; 5%), and injury associated with a fight (12 cases; 4%); there were only 9 cases of animals related injuries (3%). CONCLUSION In this series, mandible was the most commonly fractured facial bone, while road traffic accident was the most common etiological factor. Results could be influenced by the personal and working environment.