BACKGROUND: Mandible fractures are most often caused by direct trauma, but occasionally, pathologic fractures may occur due to tumor lesions. The surgical approach is determined by the type and the location of the mandible fracture. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological profile of 70 patients who suffered mandible fracture and underwent surgery at Instituto Dr. José Frota (Fortaleza, CE) between January 2005 and December 2009. METHODS: We analyzed medical records of 70 patients who underwent surgical treatment for mandibular fractures and assessed gender, age, skin color, anatomic site of fracture, etiology, associated fractures, treatment, hospitalization and complications. RESULTS: There was male predominance (90%) among patients, with a mean patient age of 28.25 + 11.04 years. Most patients (80%) were Caucasian and from small towns (68%). The most affected jaw sites, in descending order, were the parasymphysis region, body, and angle. The major cause was traffic accidents (70%), with motorcycle accidents being the most prevalent (55.7%). The main associated facial fractures were maxilla fracture type Le Fort and zygomatic-orbital. Surgical treatment was carried out with rigid internal fixation in most patients (75%). The only complication was infection in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction and fixation of mandibular fractures should occur as accurately and quickly as possible, since malocclusion is an important long-term complication. In our study, we did not observe such a complication; there was only one case of infection. Concurrent with the findings of other studies, there was a prevalence of young adult males among patients, and traffic accidents were the main cause. The fractures were frequently located in the parasymphysis region and were corrected through rigid internal fixation in 75% of cases.
Mandible; Mandibular injuries; Mandibular fractures; Facial injuries
