Patterns and injuries associated with orbital wall fractures in elderly patients who visited the emergency room: a retrospective case-control study

Review of 451 Patients Presenting With Orbital Wall Fractures: A Retrospective Analysis

A retrospective review of the electronic medical records of patients presenting to the University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas with orbital wall fractures. Clinical data such as associated ocular injuries and different management approaches are analyzed and discussed to help clarify the specific indications for, and timing of, a formal ophthalmologic examination. All patients who presented to the emergency department for an orbital fracture after suffering various types of traumas between 2008 and 2017 were included. The study reviewed 451 patients with orbital wall fractures with a wide variety of presentations as well as demographics. There were 411 cases of adults presenting with an average age of 34 years and 40 pediatric presentations with an average age of 14 years. The average age of the combined study population was 30 years. Only 16.9% of patients required surgical correction for their orbital fractures and assault accounted for nearly 50% of all the orbital fractures reviewed in this study. In this large retrospective review, no notable relationship was found between orbital wall fractured and ocular injury. Alarm symptoms for more visual threatening injuries such as retinal tears, detachments, open globe injury, and extraocular muscle entrapment are all reasonable indications to consult ophthalmology emergently. Most orbital fractures are not vision threatening, do not usually require surgical correction, and typically occur in the setting of assault.

Assault-related facial fractures: does the injury mechanism matter?

This study clarified the injury characteristics and occurrence of associated injuries in patients with assault-related facial fractures. Data from 840 assault-related facial fracture patients were included; demographic factors, facial fracture type, associated injuries, alcohol use, and injury mechanisms were recorded. Assault mechanisms most often included combinations of different mechanisms (57.5%) and resulted in the victim falling (50.1%). The perpetrator was most commonly a stranger (52.5%) and acted alone (57.7%). A total of 123 patients (14.6%) had associated injuries, with the most common being traumatic brain injury. Associated injuries occurred most frequently in patients with combined fractures of the facial thirds (24.2%) and upper third fractures (42.9%). The most significant differentiating factors for associated injuries were the number of perpetrators, falling, the use of an offensive weapon, and if the events of the assault remained unknown. In adjusted logistic regression analyses, statistically significant associations with associated injuries were found for age (odds ratio (OR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.07; P < 0.001), falling due to the assault (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.49-5.50; P = 0.002), and upper third facial fractures (OR 6.93, 95% CI 2.06-23.33; P = 0.002). A single punch also caused severe injuries and should therefore not be overlooked, as this can be as dangerous as other assault mechanisms.

Is Decreased Local Bone Quality an Independent Risk Factor for Complications Following Fracture Fixation of Facial Bones

PURPOSE

Although osteoporosis is associated with increased risks of complications of fracture fixation in the orthopedic literature, the association between local bone quality (LBQ) and complications of facial fracture fixation is unknown. The authors aim to identify that if decreased LBQ is an independent risk factor for complications following facial fracture fixation?

METHODS

The authors conducted a prospective cohort study on patients over age of 50 years who underwent open reduction and rigid internal fixation for facial fractures. The primary predictor was LBQ (low or normal), decided by a combination of 3 panoramic indices. Other predictors included age, gender, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, trauma-related characteristics, etc. The outcome variable was the presence of hardware-related, fracture-healing, wound, or neurosensory complications during 2-year follow-up. Univariate and multivariate regressions were performed to identify any significant association between predictor and outcome variables.

RESULTS

The sample was composed of 69 patients (27 females) with an average age of 58.6 ± 8.6 years and BMI of 25 ± 3.8. Low-LBQ patients were significantly older, more females, had lower BMI, mainly injured from falls, had more complications compared to their normal-LBQ counterparts. However, multivariable logistic regressions demonstrated that only age (adjusted OR: 1.12, P = 0.031, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.23) and diabetes (adjusted OR: 12.63, P = 0.029, 95% CI: 1.3, 122.53) were significantly associated with overall complications after confounding adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study indicate that reduced LBQ is not an independent risk factor for complications following facial fracture fixation. The increased risk of complications in low-LBQ patients is more likely to be attributed to other age-related comorbidities such as diabetes. Therefore, the authors recommend detailed workup and good control of comorbidities in elderly trauma patient.

Review of Orbital Fractures in an Urban Level I Trauma Center

Objective

To perform a comprehensive review and analysis of surgically treated orbital fractures.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort chart review study for surgically treated orbital fractures during 5 years.

Results

A total of 173 patients (average age 41.6 years) were diagnosed with orbital fractures. Most were male with a ratio of 3.3:1. Most fractures were caused by assault (39.3%); 22.5% of the cases were bilateral. The left orbit (40.5%) was fractured more than the right. The orbital floor (97.1%) was the most common anatomic location and the maxilla (65.3%) was the most commonly involved bone. The average time from trauma to surgical intervention was 8.7 ± 14.6 days and the average time from surgical intervention to discharge was 5.1 ± 9.0 days. The transconjunctival incision (63%) was the most commonly used incision, and nonresorbable implant (92.7%) was the most commonly used implant. Finally, the length of stay for the repair of a simple orbital fracture was less than for complex orbital fracture (1.5 days and 5.9 days, respectively).

Conclusion

Understanding the patterns and mechanisms of injury associated with orbital fractures can assist in developing standardized treatment protocols across all surgical specialties. This would ultimately allow for a uniform high quality of surgical care for patients with maxillofacial fractures.

Spatial distribution of maxillofacial injuries caused by urban violence: An ecological analysis to identify high-risk areas

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the spatial and spatial-temporal distribution of oral and maxillofacial injuries caused by urban violence, as well as to identify underlying disparities at regional level through a geostatistical approach.

METHODS

This was a historical ecological cohort study of trauma cases caused by urban violence using aggregate data from victims assisted in a Brazilian medical-forensic service between January 2012 and December 2015. The longitudinal patterns of change observed in each geographic area (neighbourhoods) were evaluated using the finite mixture model (FMM). The spatial autocorrelation of events was investigated using the Getis-Ord Indicator (Gi*) to identify significant hot and cold spatial clusters. With a spatial regression model, it was also found when socioeconomic variables, residential infrastructure and neighbourhood infrastructure were associated with high incidence rates. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

The finite mixture model revealed three different patterns of longitudinal trajectory of the incidence of oral and maxillofacial trauma caused by urban violence (TP1 to TP3, P < 0.05). TP1 was characterized by an incidence that remained stable and high over time, comprising 17.4% of the city's neighbourhoods. In TP2, it was observed that the incidence was moderate, with a slightly increasing trend in the last year evaluated, representing around 41.8% of the sample. In contrast, in TP3, it was found that the incidence was relatively low and remained stable over time, accounting for about 40.8% of the sample. The Getis-Ord (Gi*) statistic identified significant high-risk clusters in the western (P < 0.05), southern (P < 0.05), and eastern regions (P < 0.05) and low risk in the northern region (P < 0.05). The spatial regression model indicated significant association between areas with unfavourable socioeconomic conditions and higher incidence of events (β = 0.178, SE = 0.046, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Clusters demarcating areas with high socio-spatial vulnerability for urban violence and oral and maxillofacial injuries were identified. The findings highlight the need to improve living conditions in segregated urban areas and develop intersectoral actions to improve living conditions, employment, public safety, social support, health care and prevention.

Incidence of intracranial injury in orbital wall fracture patients not classified as traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVE

The detection of intracranial injury in patients with facial injury rather than traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a challenge for emergency physicians. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of intracranial injury in patients with orbital wall fracture (OWF), who were classified with a chief complaint of facial injury rather than TBI.

METHODS

This retrospective case-control study enrolled adult OWF patients (age ≥18 years) who presented at the hospital between January 2004 and March 2016. Patients with definite TBI were excluded because non-contrast head computed tomography (CT) is recommended for such patients.

RESULTS

A total of 1220 patients with OWF were finally enrolled. CT of the head was performed on 677 patients, and the incidence of concomitant intracranial injury was found to be 9% (62/677). Patients with definite TBI were excluded. Symptoms raising a suspicion of TBI, such as loss of consciousness, alcohol intoxication, or vomiting, were present in 347 of the patients, with 44 of these patients (13%) showing a concomitant intracranial injury. Of the 330 patients without such symptoms, 18 (6%) demonstrated a concomitant intracranial injury. In OWF patients, superior wall fracture (odds ratio [OR], 4.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.06-8.34; P < 0.001), associated frontal bone fracture (OR, 4.38; 95% CI, 2.08-9.23; P < 0.001), and older age (decades) (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04; P = 0.002) were independent risk factors for concomitant intracranial injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Emergency physicians should maintain a high degree of suspicion of TBI, even when their primary concern is facial trauma with OWF. Head CT is recommended for OWF patients with a superior OWF, frontal bone fracture, or increased age.