Epidemiology of surgically treated jaw fractures in the Traumatology Institute of Santiago (Chile): A 10-year review

Abstract

The traumatic injuries in Chile are the third cause of death in the general population and the first in young people. Their epidemiology varies around the world, and is linked to demographic and sociocultural differences, with few studies in Latin America.

Objective

To determine epidemiological profile of the jaw bone fractures in the Traumatology Institute (IT) of Santiago, Chile.

Material and method

Retrospective descriptive and quantitative study was conducted in the Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the IT, developed by recording data from a review of clinical records of patients with surgically treated jaw fractures. Data were collected between January-2001 and December-2010 using Microsoft Access 2007^© and then tabulated and plotted using Microsoft Excel 2007^©.

Results

Out of a total of 783 facial fractures, 240 clinical files of surgically treated jaw fractures were available for analysis. The male:female ratio was 5.9:1, and the most affected age group was between 20 and 29 years old. The most frequent cause of the fracture was aggressions. Most patients were treated in an average of 8.6 days from admission. In conclusion, these results are consistent with the literature, except for the associations between the affected anatomical site and aetiology.