Pattern and Etiology of Maxillofacial Trauma among Sudanese Population

Background: Maxillofacial trauma has the potential to cause disfigurement and loss of function. It can be fatal by causing severe bleeding or interference with the airway. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the etiology, site, timing, age, and gender predilection of maxillofacial trauma in a sample of Sudanese patients. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective descriptive-analytical hospital-based study. The records of 96 trauma patients who attended Khartoum Dental Teaching Hospital from February to April 2017 were investigated for the following information: the etiology of the trauma, site of the fracture, time of the injury as well as the patients’ age and gender. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY USA). Results: During the study period, 96 patients with 204 fractures were treated. 82.3% of the patients were males. The age group between 13 and 23 years showed the highest rate of incidence of maxillofacial trauma. The most common cause of the trauma was assault (36.5%) in males and falls in females (47.1%). Dentoalveolar fractures were the most common site of fractures (25.6%) followed by condylar fractures (14%). The majority of the injuries (34.4%) took place during the day between 1 pm and 6 pm. Conclusions: Causes and patterns of maxillofacial trauma vary greatly from one region to another. This can remarkably aid in raising public awareness and establishing specific prevention and treatment programs.