Patterns and characteristics of maxillofacial trauma among children and adolescents: A Bi-institutional retrospective study.

Introduction: Maxillofacial injuries in children and adolescents always present a challenge due to the peculiar facial anatomy in children. This study aimed to determine the characteristics and pattern of traumatic maxillofacial injuries in children and adolescents reported to outpatient departments of two tertiary care health centers.

Materials and methods: Present study had a retrospective design, and the hospital records of all children and adolescent patients aged between 0 and 18 years, who had undergone maxillofacial fractures and were admitted for the same to two tertiary care health centers between January 2012 and May 2022 were reviewed.

Results: 77 patients suffered maxillofacial trauma with 115 fractures. The leading cause of maxillofacial trauma in the study was found to be road traffic accidents (RTA) followed by falls and sports-related injuries. Maxillofacial trauma was observed more in boys than girls, with an M: F ratio of 3.8:1. Out of 77 patients in the present study, more than half (51.9%) suffered maxillofacial trauma involving the lower one-third of the face, followed by the middle third (45.5%) and upper third (2.6%). A total of 11 patients (14.2%) were treated within 24 hr of sustaining injury. The majority of the patients, (n = 68; 88.3%) underwent open reduction and rigid internal fixation (ORIF), while 9 patients (11.7%) underwent closed reduction.

Conclusions: Pediatric maxillofacial trauma was mainly attributed to road traffic accidents. Lower one-third of faces were more commonly affected and an increasing trend of maxillofacial trauma was observed with age.