Changing trends in causes and patterns of facial fractures in children

ObjectiveTo review the epidemiology of facial fractures in children and to analyze whether it has changed over time.Study designRetrospective review of records of children aged ≤15 years diagnosed for fracture during 2 10-year periods.ResultsA total of 378 children were diagnosed with fractures, 187 in 1980-1989 and 191 in 1993-2002. The proportion of children with mandibular fractures decreased by 13.6 percentage-points from the first period to the second, whereas the proportion of patients with midfacial fractures increased by 18.7 percentage-points. Assault as a causative factor increased by 5.5 percentage-points, almost exclusively among children aged 13-15 years, with a high percentage (23.5%).ConclusionsRecognition of a change in fracture patterns over time is probably due to the increased use of computerized tomographic scanning.