Epidemiology of violence in pediatric and adolescent nasal fracture compared with adult nasal fracture: An 8-year study

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of nasal fractures varies according to factors such as the era and area of the study, as well as the age of the patient. We compared the characteristics and causes of pediatric nasal fractures. METHODS: A total of 2,321 patients with nasal fractures from 2010 to 2017 were examined. The patients were divided into age groups using the Korean school system of age classification. The causes of injury were divided into five groups: violence, fall or slip down, sports, road traffic accidents, and others. Fractures were classified using the Stranc and Robertson standard: vector of force and plane of fracture. RESULTS: Violence was the most common cause of nasal fracture in patients older than 12 years. Violence was a significantly less frequent cause among patients younger than 12 years old than among adolescent and adult patients. Nasal fractures due to violence were not observed in patients younger than 10 years. Plane 2 and lateral force fractures were the most common; however, in patients younger than 12 years, frontal force fractures were significantly more frequent than were lateral force fractures. CONCLUSION: As children may simply be injured due to a fall or slip down, it is important for the parents and guardians to ensure their safety. As they become older, children should abstain from violence and be monitored. It is therefore very important to ensure that the environment is free of violence in order to prevent such injuries.