Evaluation of Panfacial Fractures in a German Supraregional Trauma Center between 2015 and 2017 – A Retrospective Study

INTRODUCTION: Panfacial fractures represent the most severe injuries to the face. The combination of these fractures determines the treatment strategy. This study aims to retrospectively review the data of adult patients treated for complex facial skull fractures in a hospital in Dortmund, Germany from 2015-2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We extracted related patient data from the hospital electronic repository and reviewed the patient files and radiological images. The fractures were classified based on the AO-Classification. The statistical analysis was performed by descriptive statistical methods. The main goal was to determine the most common fracture combinations. RESULTS: A total of 188 patients with panfacial fractures were identified (181 adults, 7 children and adolescents). The gender and age distribution corresponded to the international literature (male-to-female ratio: 3.1:1, most common injuries among young men). 2–9 fracture sites were identified per patient, resulting in a fracture frequency of 3.13 per patient. 69 different fracture combinations have been identified. The most common ones were combinations of lateral and central mid-face fractures, and combinations of nasal bone fractures with lateral midface fractures or nasal bone fractures combined with mandibular fractures. Between 1 and 13 osteosynthesis implants per patient were used for osteosynthesis; the most commonly used plates were 2.0 mm and 1.5 mm straight plates. The average inpatient stay was 3 days (standard deviation [SD] = 3.0 days), and the average operation time (incision to suture) was 39.5 min (SD = 53.5 min). DISCUSSION: Panfacial fractures are the most complex maxillofacial injuries. The complication rate in this study (4.5%) is below the international data. The treatment of panfacial fractures requires designated centers with experienced teams and good interdisciplinary cooperation.