Etiology, treatment, and complications of mandibular fractures

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate some epidemiological characteristics, surgical treatment methods, and complications of cases involving mandibular fractures. Records from 119 patients treated for mandibular fractures between January 2006 and December 2011 were analyzed. We find mandibular fractures mostly affect Caucasian (72.2%) men (80.7%). The mean age of the patients was 28.1 years. Road traffic accidents (RTA) caused the most fractures (49.5%), followed by physical violence, including gunshot wounds (21%). Motorcycle accidents were the most common cause of RTA (76.2%). The most affected mandibular regions were the parasymphysis (26.9%) and the mandible angle (25.1%). Both surgical and nonsurgical treatments were applied (90.4% and 9.6%, respectively). The most common surgical approach was the intraoral (64.9%), using the 2.0-mm fixation system (88.0%). Complications such as postoperative infections, malocclusion, and paresthesia occurred in 36 patients (30.2%). This research revealed interesting features about the etiology of mandibular fractures that were mostly associated with RTA. Severity of the trauma and noncompliance of the patients were factors that contributed to the development of postoperative complications.