Changing Contribution of Different Aetiologies of Maxillofacial Fractures - A Retrospective Study

Maxillofacial fractures cost the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation approximately NZ$ 70-80 million annually. We have previously reported on ethnic and age groups disproportionately affected by these injuries and the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns. This study provides an analysis of the aetiologies contributing to maxillofacial fractures over a period of 11 years.

Patients who were referred with a maxillofacial fracture to the Wellington Regional Plastic, Maxillofacial and Burns Unit from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2023, were identified from our maxillofacial fracture database. The aetiology of injury was classified as interpersonal violence (IPV), fall, sport, road traffic accident (RTA), other or unknown. The number caused by each aetiology was correlated with year of injury to produce a trend over time.

A total of 2651 cases were identified during the study period. IPV was the most common aetiology, followed by fall, sport, RTA, other and unknown. The total number of injuries per year did not change significantly, nor did the number of injuries caused by sport, other or unknown aetiology. The number of injuries from IPV decreased by 3.9% per year, fall increased by 4.4% per year and RTA increased by 7.2% per year.

IPV remains the leading cause of maxillofacial fractures, although this is decreasing. The number of maxillofacial fractures caused by RTA is increasing. There is a sustained increase of maxillofacial fracture caused by falls, which especially affect the elderly, warranting further study of possible causes and preventative strategies.