[Mandibular fractures. An epidemiological study of a 10-year cohort]

From 01-01-1981 to 12-31-1990 512 patients with isolated mandibular fractures, 161 patients with combined midfacial-/mandibular fractures and 15 patients with combined frontobasal-/midfacial-/mandibular fractures were treated. During that period the number of isolated mandibular fractures doubled, whereas the frequency of combined mandibular fractures was nearly constant. The male/female ratio was 3.1 to 1. The more severe the combined mandibular fractures had been, the less female patients were concerned. Most of the patients were between 16 and 30 years old followed by 31 to 45 year old patients. The main reason for isolated mandibular fractures had been assaults, followed by falls and road traffic accidents, whereas most of the combined mandibular fractures were caused by road traffic accidents. The numbers of single and double fractures of the mandible were nearly equal. Certain and uncertain signs of fractures are mostly unreliable, so that an X-ray is needed. A combined conservative and surgical treatment shows the best results and guarantees the reintegration of the patient in the every-day life as early as possible.