[Maxillofacial fractures in children]

With regard to aetiology, location and therapy, fractures of the facial skeleton in childhood occupy a special position due to the anatomico-morphologic pecularities of the infantile skull. To verify this statement, the author analysed the medical records of 58 patients with fractures of the facial skeleton, having an age range from 1 to 14 years. The fracture incidence was 9.3% as related to the total number of fractures of the facial skeleton. Traffic accidents (41%) were the main cause of these injuries. Clinical and radiographic follow-up examinations of 37 patients (after an average period of 5 years) revealed: jaw or tooth anomalies in 56.7%, anomalous radiographic findings concerning the condyloid process in 14.7%, and anomalous radiographic findings concerning the teeth in the former fracture line in 27%. Conclusions are drawn from these results as to therapeutical management.