A 6-Year Epidemiological Study of Mandibular Fractures in Traumatic Patients in North of Iran: Review of 463 Patients

BACKGROUND: Mandibular fracture is considered the second most common facial fracture worldwide. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of mandibular fractures in traumatic patients hospitalized at Velayat Teaching Hospital in Rasht, Iran for 6-year. METHODS: In this retrospective study, all traumatic patients with mandibular fractures admitted to Velayat Teaching Hospital, Rasht, northern Iran for 6-year (2013-18) were enrolled. The data collection tool was a checklist consisting of two parts: demographic information, and injury data. All data were collected through the Hospital Information System (HIS), and analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive and analytical statistics tests. RESULTS: Overall, 463 hospitalized patients were reviewed. Males had higher frequency than females. The most common accident place was rural roads. The most frequent mechanism of fractures was road accidents. The most common injuries occurred in motorcyclists, followed by car passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists. The highest and lowest frequency of injury occurred in September, and February, respectively. The most common site of fracture was condyle, followed by trunk. In concurrent fractures, the most frequently affected site was maxillary bone, followed by zygomatic bones, orbital, nasal, and frontal bones. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with mandibular fractures were young men of working age following motor vehicle accidents. Consequently, the most effective strategy for reducing accidents leading to mandibular fractures is considering all three components of human, environment, and vehicle.