Characteristics of Alcohol-Related Facial Fractures

Epidemiology of Craniomaxillofacial Fractures Over a 5-year Period at a Midwestern Level 1 Trauma Center Serving a Large Rural Population

BACKGROUND

Though the epidemiology of craniomaxillofacial (CMF) fractures has been well documented at urban hospitals, the characteristics of these fractures in rural hospitals have not been well studied.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to report on the epidemiology of CMF fractures at a regional Level 1 trauma center serving a large rural population in central Illinois.

STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, SAMPLE

This is a retrospective cohort study at a community-based regional tertiary referral center that serves a predominantly rural population. Inclusion criteria comprised patients with radiologically confirmed CMF fractures between 2015 and 2019. Patients with incomplete medical records were excluded.

PREDICTOR VARIABLE

Predictor variables included demographics (age, admission source, race, and sex) and etiology of CMF fracture (assault/domestic violence, all-terrain vehicle/off-road, falls, farm-related, motor vehicle collisions, gunshot wound, and others).

MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLE

The primary outcome variable was the CMF anatomic location including nasal bone, orbit, mandible, malar/maxillary, and other CMF fractures.

COVARIATES

The covariates are not applicable.

ANALYSES

Descriptive statistics were used to summarize a sample of the population characteristics. Wilcoxon ranked sign tests and χ2 tests of independence were used to assess for statistically significant associations between select variables of interest. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05.

RESULTS

Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 2,334 patients presented to the emergency department with a CMF fracture. After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, the final sample was composed of 1,844 patients for the management of 2,405 CMF fractures. The majority of patients were male(62.0%) and young adults (aged 18-39) had the highest number of CMF fractures (819) relative to all other age groups. The most common fracture etiology was fall(37.3%), and nasal bone fractures represented the most common fracture location(41.6%). χ2 analyses revealed statistically significant associations between the anatomic location of CMF fracture incurred, and differing categories of age, admission source, race, sex, and etiology.

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

Our study shows that patients seen at our Midwestern Level 1 trauma center are more likely to present with nasal bone and malar/maxillary fractures due to falls. In studies based in urban centers, patients are likely to present with orbital and mandibular fractures due to falls and assault.

Global, regional, and national burden of incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for facial fractures from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2019

BACKGROUND

Facial fractures are common injuries causing cosmetic, functional, and psychological damage. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) of facial fractures from 1990 to 2019 using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD).

METHODS

Detailed data for the disease burden of facial fractures were obtained from online available public data (Global Health Data Exchange) derived from the GBD study. The incidence, prevalence, and YLDs of facial fractures from 1990 to 2019 were analyzed by country, region, age, gender, sociodemographic index (SDI), and cause. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), age-standardized YLDs rate (ASYR), and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) were calculated to evaluate the disease burden and quantify the trends over time. The main causes of facial fractures in different years and ages were assessed.

RESULTS

Globally, there were 8.9 million incident cases, 1.5 million cases prevalent cases, and 98.1 thousand years YLDs in 2019. Compared with 1990, the number of incident cases, prevalent cases, and YLDs increased, while ASIR (EAPC, - 0.47; 95% uncertainty interval [UI], - 0.57 to - 0.37), ASPR (EAPC, - 0.39; 95% UI, - 0.46 to - 0.31), ASYR (EAPC, - 0.39; 95% UI, - 0.47 to - 0.32) showed a downward trend. The high SDI region held the highest ASIR, ASPR, and ASYR both in 1990 and 2019, such as New Zealand, Slovenia, and Australia. The burden was higher in men than in women from 1990 to 2019, while the ASRs in women exceeded that of men in the elderly. The ASIR peaked in the young adult group, however, the ASPR and ASYR increased with age. Falls and road injuries were the leading causes of facial fractures.

CONCLUSIONS

Facial fractures continue to cause a heavy burden on public health worldwide. More targeted strategies need to be established to control the burden of facial fractures.

Retrospective Study of Orbital and Orbitozygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures Treated at Aalesund Hospital Between 2002 and 2017

Study Design

Retrospective study.

Objective

To evaluate patient demographics, surgical management, and complications of orbital and orbitozygomaticomaxillary complex (OZMC) fractures treated at a district hospital in Norway.

Methods

The medical records of patients with orbital fractures treated at Aalesund hospital between January 2002 and July 2017 were reviewed. Data on demographics, signs and symptoms, cause of injury, fracture type, associated fractures, surgical management, and complications were collected.

Results

A total of 36 patients were reviewed. Males predominated (1:4.1), and fractures occurred mostly in patients 40-59 years (mean 41.8 years). Interpersonal violence was the leading cause of injury, followed by falls. Alcohol was significantly associated with assault caused fractures (P = .001). Orbitozygomaticomaxillary fractures were the most frequent, followed by pure orbital fractures. Clinical findings included periorbital ecchymosis (72%), swelling (56%), sensory nerve dysfunction (53%), diplopia (22%), and restricted eye motility (22%). Commotio cerebri was observed in more than half of our sample and 47% had other facial bone fractures. Referral to tertiary hospitals was done in 19% of the cases. The main treatment done was open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) (45%). Infection was diagnosed in 17% and managed with antibiotics.

Conclusions

The incidence of orbital and OZMC fractures in Moere and Romsdal county in western Norway was low, occurring mainly in males over 40 years. The mechanism of injury was predominantly interpersonal violence and falls. A high proportion of the sample had minor traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

30-Day Post-Operative Complications of Facial Fracture Repairs: A United States Database Study

Study Design

Cross-sectional database analysis.

Objective

To define post-operative complication rates in facial fracture repair and to assess this data for patient characteristics which may be associated with post-operative complications.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. All patients included in this study sample must have (a) been ≥18 years old and (b) underwent surgical repair of a facial fracture during the study period by a plastic surgeon or otolaryngologist. Adverse outcomes at 30 days were characterized into four groups: superficial surgical site infection (SSI), deep SSI, organ space infection, and wound disruption.

Results

In total, 2481 patients met the primary outcome of facial fracture. Among the four fracture types assessed, 1090 fractures (43.9%) were mandibular, 721 were zygomatic (29.1%), 638 were orbital (25.7%), and 32 (1.3%) were Lefort. Of the entire cohort, 25 patients (1.01%) experienced a superficial SSI, 14 patients (.56%) presented with a deep SSI, 25 fractures (1.01%) returned with an organ space infection, and 23 patients (.93%) experienced some type of wound disruption. Smokers had a significantly higher risk of superficial SSIs (P < .05) and organ space infections (P < .05).

Conclusions

The majority of facial fracture patients do not experience post-operative complications. However, smokers and patients with diabetes mellitus were shown to be at an elevated risk of developing complications. Future research should further investigate this relationship and focus on developing interventions to improve post-operative outcomes.

Pattern of oral and maxillofacial trauma and associated factors: An 8-year prospective study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Oral and maxillofacial trauma (OMFT) is a public health problem due to its high occurrence and demand for resources for its management and the financial and social impact of OMFT victims on the health system. The aim of this study was to conduct an 8-year prospective analysis of OMFT cases from an emergency service.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A hospital-based 8-year prospective study on OMFT and associated factors was performed on data from December 2011 to December 2019. Data regarding sociodemographic (gender, age, and skin color) and socio-economic profiles (educational level, family income, and occupation), OMFT profile (etiology, OMFT type, and treatment), associated factors [alcohol consumption and personal protective equipment (PPE) use], OMFT occurrence (injury day and hour), length of hospital stay, and cost were collected. Descriptive and inferential analyses of data were performed.

RESULTS

Most OMFT cases involved men with low schooling and family income, resulting from traffic accidents. OMFT severity was associated with longer hospital stay, higher hospital costs and nonuse of PPE, midface fractures (mainly orbital-zygomatic fractures), closed reduction, and open reduction/internal fixation. Traffic accidents were the main cause of longer hospital stays for victims aged 41-60 years with better socio-economic status compared with cases that had higher hospital costs. In general, higher hospital costs were associated with victims of violence under 40 years of age, with low schooling and farmers. Alcohol consumption and non-use of PPE also contributed to increasing the length of hospital stay.

CONCLUSION

Oral and maxillofacial trauma severity was associated with longer hospital stay and higher hospital costs. Associated factors such as alcohol consumption and non-use of PPE contributed to increase the length of hospital stay and OMFT severity.

Socioeconomic disparities in rates of facial fracture surgeries for women and men at a regional tertiary care centre in Australia

BACKGROUND

Assault is the most common mechanism of injury in patients presenting with facial trauma in Australia. For women, there is a propensity for maxillofacial injuries to stem from intimate partner violence (IPV). Those with a low socioeconomic status have higher rates of IPV. This study examines variations in the proportion of surgical procedures that are due to facial trauma for Australian women and men by employment status and residential socioeconomic status.

METHODS

A single centre retrospective study was conducted (2008-2018). The proportion of operative patients presenting with facial fractures was examined. Multivariable logistic regression adjusting for year and age, was performed for women and men.

RESULTS

Facial fractures comprised 1.51% (1602) of all surgeries, patients had a mean age of 32, and 81.3% were male. Unemployed patients were more likely to require surgery for a facial fracture (OR 2.36 (2.09-2.68), P <0.001), and there were no significant variations by index of economic resources (IER). Unemployed males had higher rates of facial fractures (OR 2.09 (1.82-2.39), P <0.001). Unemployed and disadvantaged IER females had higher rates of facial fractures (OR 5.02 (3.73-6.75), P <0.001 and OR 2.31(1.63-3.29), P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found disparities in rates of surgery for facial fractures; unemployment increased the rates for men and women, whereas disadvantaged IER increased rates for women. Studies have demonstrated higher rates of IPV for unemployed and low socioeconomic status women. Further research ascertaining the aetiology of these disparities is important both for primary prevention initiatives and to enable treating clinicians to better understand and address the role of IPV and alcohol consumption in these injuries.

Effect of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of maxillofacial fractures in a Finnish Tertiary Trauma Centre

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of facial fractures in a tertiary trauma centre.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All facial fracture patients evaluated by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon during the first stage of the pandemic in spring 2020 were included in the study and compared to the corresponding periods in 2017 and 2018. Differences in age, sex, timespan from accident to diagnosis of facial fracture, injury mechanism, fracture type, treatment method, associated injuries (AIs), and alcohol consumption at the time of injury were analyzed between the forementioned time periods.

RESULTS

The total number of patients (n = 107) during the COVID restriction period did not differ from the previous years (116 and 113 patients in 2017 and 2018, respectively, p=.368). Injury mechanism was less often assault during 2020 compared with previous years (14.0% in 2020 versus 31.8% in 2018 and 30.2% in 2017). Non-intracranial AIs were more common in the COVID period (28% in 2020 versus 14.2% in 2018 and 21.6%). The distribution was statistically significant (p=.041). Alcohol use prior to injury varied between years (p=.023). Alcohol was more often related to the injuries in 2020 compared to the previous years.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID restrictions did not affect the overall facial fracture occurrence, but there was a significant decrease in assaults. The proportion of alcohol-related injuries did not decrease despite restrictions.

The Impact of Lockout Laws on Maxillofacial Fractures in South Australia

INTRODUCTION

Alcohol outlet density and unrestricted trading hours are strongly predictive of domestic and non-domestic assault rates, respectively. International studies report a strong male predominance for facial fractures. Harm minimization policies such as lockout laws have gained considerable attention to reduce accessibility of alcohol consumption and drinking patterns.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted from January 2012 to January 2017 at the Women and Children's Hospital and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide. All maxillofacial fractures that attended or were referred to the unit were included in this study. The primary objective was to determine the impact of facial fracture presentations, particularly assaults, for the pre- and post-lockout periods.

RESULTS

From 2012 to 2017, there was a 5.1% decrease in assaults per year (P = 0.002). Assaults increased by 11.7% for women and alcohol related assaults decreased by 10.2% for men (P < 0.05). Assault and alcohol related assault rates decreased by 9.3% and 10.5%, respectively, between lockout periods (P < 0.001). Comparative analysis between Adelaide and control (inner regional city) showed assaults decreased by 9.8% between lockout periods (51.2% versus 41.4%, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed alcohol, open reduction internal fixation and men were associated with a lower risk of assault related fractures, but women and night time presentations had a higher risk (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The influence of lockout laws contributed to an overall decrease in assaults and operative interventions, particularly alcohol related incidences amongst men. Ongoing longitudinal surveillance should guide current evidence for policy developers to reduce the risk of harm.

Pattern of Maxillofacial Trauma and Associated Factors in Traffic Accident Victims

INTRODUCTION

Maxillofacial trauma (MFT) due to road traffic accidents are responsible for part of care provided at trauma centers.

PURPOSE

This research aimed to analyze the pattern of MFTs and associated factors in victims of road traffic accidents.

METHODS

A total of 873 medical records of patients with MFTs in 2 reference hospitals for trauma in Northeastern Brazil during the period from January 2011 to December 2018 were analyzed. Data were included in the Tweedie multiple regression analysis to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR), with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) and P < 0.05.

RESULTS

Motorcycle accidents were the most prevalent (76.4%). Higher hospital costs were the result of patients victims of motorcycle accidents (PR = 1.56; 95%CI = 1.29-1.88; P < 0.001), diagnosed with mandible fracture (PR = 1.41; 95%CI = 1.07-1.86; P = 0.001) who had consumed alcoholic beverages (PR = 1.12; 95%CI = 1.00-1.25; P = 0.04) and did not use personal protective equipment (PPE) (PR = 1.29; 95%CI = 1.10-1.50; P = 0.001). Patients victims of motorcycle accidents remained in hospital longer than other etiologies (PR = 1.47; 95%CI = 1.23-1.76; P < 0.001). The consumption of alcoholic beverages resulted in more severe MFTs (PR = 2.05; 95%CI = 1.34-3.14; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Victims of motorcycle accidents remained hospitalized longer and resulted in higher hospital costs compared to other etiologies. Alcohol consumption increases hospital costs and the severity of MFTs. Higher hospital costs were also observed in patients who did not use PPE. Strategies need to be adopted to understand associated factors in MFTs such as the reallocation of resources to fund, implement and improve services and the surveillance in roads and highways, as well as prevention programs aimed at this health problem.

Occupational group, educational level, marital status and deleterious habits among individuals with maxillofacial fractures: retrospective study

Background

To investigate the occupational profile, educational level, marital status and deleterious habits to the health of patients with maxillofacial fractures of a population of northeastern Brazil.

Material and Methods

A retrospective study of patients records admitted to the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Walter Cantídio University Hospital (Fortaleza, Brazil) who sustained maxillofacial fractures was conducted in the period between 2006 and 2015.

Results

A total of 338 patients rendered 355 fractures. Males were the most affected (p<0.001), with prevalence in the third decade of life (p<0.001). There was a predominance of motorcycle accidents (p<0.001), home workers (p<0.001), low educational status (p = 0.032), and no cigarette use (p<0.001) or alcohol (p = 0.023). Fractures of the zygomatic-orbital complex were the most prevalent in the sample (p<0.001).

Conclusions

The sociodemographic profile exerted a significant influence on the epidemiological profile of maxillofacial fractures in a Brazilian population during the study period.

Key words:Epidemiological studies, trauma, facial bones.