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Epidemiology of Operatively Treated Maxillofacial Trauma at a Tertiary Trauma Center in the Netherlands Over a 5-Year
Bram T van Munster1, A J W P Rosenberg2, J E Bergsma2
1PhD Candidate, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Background:
Maxillofacial trauma is a common condition with varying incidence and causes across regions due to geographical and temporal factors. Epidemiological research is essential for improving quality of care, guiding clinical priorities, and developing effective treatment and prevention strategies.
Purpose:
This study evaluated the epidemiology of operatively treated maxillofacial fractures at a tertiary trauma center in the Netherlands over a 5-year period.
Study Design, Setting, Sample:
This retrospective case series was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. The study sample included subjects who underwent operative treatment for maxillofacial fractures, excluding those with prior treatment elsewhere, pathological fractures, or objection to data use.
Predictor Variable:
NA.
Main Outcome Variable(S):
NA.
Covariates:
Demographic variables included age, sex, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification. Trauma-related variables included trauma etiology, injury context, helmet use, intoxication status, associated injuries, and temporal patterns. Fracture-related variables included fracture location, laterality, and single or multiple fracture status. Treatment-related variables included operative treatment type, time to treatment, hospital stay, intensive care unit admission, and discharge destination.
Analyses:
Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the study variables. Categorical variables were reported as n (%) and continuous variables as mean (standard deviation) or median (interquartile range). Exploratory comparisons were performed using Pearson's χ2 test and Student's two-tailed t-test.
Results:
The study sample included 338 subjects; 256 subjects (76%) were male, and the mean age was 38.9 years (standard deviation, 19.5 years). The largest age group was 21 to 30 years (73 subjects, 22%). Road traffic accidents (RTAs) were the most common trauma cause (167 subjects, 50%), including 129 bike-related accidents (77% of RTAs). Zygomatic and mandibular fractures were the most common fracture locations, occurring in 163 (48%) and 162 subjects (48%), respectively. Additional injuries were documented in 198 subjects (59%).
Conclusions And Relevance:
RTAs were the most common cause of operatively treated maxillofacial fractures in this study sample, primarily involving bike-related accidents. These findings emphasize the need for targeted traffic safety and bicycle-related injury prevention strategies in the Netherlands aimed at reducing RTAs and their associated injuries.
