1,454 mandibular fractures: A 3-year study in a hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Objective: To analyze the mandibular fractures which presented over a 3-year period at an emergency hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Methods: The data collected included age, sex, aetiology, date of trauma, associated maxillofacial trauma, anatomic site of fracture, and treatment. The analysis involved descriptive statistics and the Pearson's chi-square, Bonferroni, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whiney tests, and analysis of variance. Results: There were 1,454 mandibular fractures in 1,023 patients. Males of 20-29 years of age sustained the majority of fractures. Traffic accidents were the major causes of trauma, followed by violence and falls. A high incidence of fractures in women due to violence was observed. The condyle region was found to be the most common fracture site in the mandible. A surgical approach was performed in most cases. There were more accidents causing mandibular fractures on the weekends. Conclusion: The individuals with mandibular fractures due to "traffic accidents" were younger than those due to "violence" and "falls". There was a significant statistical association between age and aetiology as well as between sex and aetiology of mandibular fractures. (C) 2011 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery.