Severity and causality of maxillofacial trauma in the Southern region of Saudi Arabia

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine the causality and severity of maxillofacial trauma (MFT) among patients referred to a tertiary heath care center in the Southern Aseer region of Saudi Arabia.Materials and methodsThe charts of all MFT patients referred to the tertiary care center from September 2010 to November 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Pertinent data, including patient age, gender, and cause of injury, were obtained from 101 selected charts.ResultsMale patients comprised 91% of the 101 selected cases. The highest percentage of MFT cases (88.7%) were caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs) while physical altercations and sports injuries accounted for approximately 6% and 2.8% of MFT cases, respectively. A high fracture: patient ratio of 2.4:1 was observed, which was likely due to vehicular speeding (high energy trauma) involved in RTAs in the mountain regions.ConclusionRTAs are a major cause of MFT in the southern region of Saudi. These accidents cause a heavy burden on the health care sector.