A closer look at orthopedic injuries associated with maxillofacial trauma.

Although orthopedic injury has been reported to be the most frequent injury associated with facial trauma, their relationship has not been sufficiently evaluated in the literature. To evaluate this relationship, we compared 263 patients with concomitant facial and orthopedic injuries with 2006 patients with facial injuries alone. The rate of associated orthopedic injuries was 11.5%. Motor vehicle accidents, falls, mandibular fractures, and Le Fort I fractures increased the chance of sustaining orthopedic injuries nearly 17-, 15-, 10-, 4.4-, and 4.5-fold, respectively. Most fractures occurred in large bones with their inherent potential to cause severe, life-threatening complications. The high rates of mortality and morbidities associated with orthopedic injuries and the frequent occurrence of these injuries in patients with facial trauma emphasize upon the fact that maxillofacial surgeons, residents, and trauma nurses need more training in early diagnosis and appropriate management of associated orthopedic injuries.