Aetiology of maxillofacial fracture.

The aetiological factors associated with maxillofacial fractures, and the trends in these factors over a 13 year period are reported. The First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, managed 695 patients with maxillofacial fractures between 1977 and 1989. The male to female ratio was 3.2:1 and the majority of patients were aged between 10 and 30 years old. Road traffic accidents and accidental falls were the main causes of fractures throughout the 13 year study period. Mandibular fractures occurred in 477 patients (68.6%). A high percentage of patients were treated by closed reduction and maxillo-mandibular fixation, or occlusal splinting.