Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
10:42
A Postoperative Evaluation Guideline for Computer-Assisted Reconstruction of the Mandible
Published on: January 28, 2020
The FACT-Score: Development and Temporal Validation of a Clinical Risk Stratification Tool for 30-Day Complications
Armin Catic1, Georgios Karamitros2, William C Lineaweaver2
1Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
|July 21, 2026
Summary
A new tool, the Facial Fracture Adverse-event Clinical Triage (FACT)-Score, helps predict 30-day complications after facial fracture surgery. This validated score stratifies patients into low, moderate, and high-risk groups for better postoperative care.
Area of Science:
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Plastic Surgery
- Trauma Surgery
Background:
- No validated tool exists for predicting 30-day complications after operative facial fracture repair.
- Developing a procedure-specific risk stratification tool is crucial for patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and temporally validate a clinical risk stratification tool for 30-day complications after operative facial fracture repair.
- To create a user-friendly tool for clinical deployment.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database (2007-2022).
- Benchmarked seven machine learning algorithms, with logistic regression performing best.
- Developed the 5-variable Facial Fracture Adverse-event Clinical Triage (FACT)-Score and validated it temporally.
Main Results:
- The overall 30-day complication rate was 6.7%.
- The FACT-Score demonstrated strong predictive performance (AUC 0.797) with excellent calibration on temporal validation.
- Risk tiers showed clear separation: low (1.8%), moderate (7.1%), and high (22.8%) complication rates.
Conclusions:
- Machine learning did not outperform logistic regression for predicting facial fracture complications.
- The 5-variable FACT-Score is a simple, validated tool for postoperative risk stratification.
- A freely available web-based calculator supports clinical use.