Prevalence, treatment and complications of mandibular fractures

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the prevalence, treatment and complications of mandibular fractures managed by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University between March 2015 and March 2017. Materiala and Methods: Mandibular fractures were sorted by etiology and classified according to the fracture location. Open reduction and internal fixation(ORIF) were performed using 2.0-mm or 2.4-mm fixation systems. Closed reduction(CR) of fractures was performed using arch bars, intermaxillary fixation screws or wire-composite splints. The complications were recorded. Results: The most common cause of mandibular fractures in this study was interpersonal violence (32.1%), followed by road-traffic accidents (26.2%) and falls (25%). The least common cause of fractures was sports accident (7.1%). The most common fracture localization was the condyle (24.5%), followed by the angle (21.8%), body (17.3%), symphysis/parasymphysis (16.4%) and alveolar bone (15.5%). Fifty patients were treated by ORIF (59.5%), 29 patients were treated by CR (34.5%). Three patients (3.6%) received no treatment. Various complications were observed in 25(29.7%) patients. The most common complication in this study was temporary paresthesia (13.1%) followed by TMD (6.0%). Conclusion: Following contemporary trends in mandibular trauma to understand how different centers manage patients in different socio-economic regions and different levels of clinical facilities/resources is important for conducting better healthcare policy.