Maxillofacial fractures in children attending the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital

Abstract

The literature shows that maxillofacial fractures in children are uncommon. Although the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Faculty of Dentistry, of the University of the Western Cape, has been providing a service to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital (RXH) for the past twenty years, no study had been undertaken to determine the age, gender, number of patients per year, aetiology, patterns, and management of maxillofacial fractures at this institution. A retrospective records based study was undertaken to determine these features. This study accessed the records of patients seen at the trauma unit at RXH, from 1994 to 2003 inclusive, and referred for maxillofacial attention. One-hundred-and-five patient records were obtained and analyzed using the SPSS statistic package. One-hundred-and-twenty-seven fractures were recorded in one hundred and five patients. The age of the patients ranged from one to thirteen. Sixty-five male and forty female patients were seen. Dentoalveolar fractures were the most common fracture seen in both the midface and mandible. Midface fractures were more common than mandibular fractures. Falls, followed by motor vehicle accidents, were the most common cause of facial fractures. Most fractures were successfully managed by closed procedures. At this institution, nasal and frontal fractures have surprisingly little or no input from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.