The facial bones are composed of several protuberance and arches(orbital rim, nasal pyramid, zygomatic arch and maxilla) and are apt to be damaged by the accidents.
According to the intellectual developement of the human, the social life is constantly complicated more than ever.
The means of transportation has been increasing in scale and size, consequently the automobile accidents has been also increasing the same as the transportation has been.
Moreover the means of transportation has been expressed as the moving weapon which became very serious problem.
Braunstein(1957), in a study of 1000 automobile accidents, reported that the head and face area were involved in 72.3% and that 7.2% of these also sustained fracture of one or more facial bones.
The accurate diagnosis and treatment of the facial injurie swere always very important, but the interest of this field was very weakened.
During recent years, numerous articles have documented the steady increase in the incidence of facial bone fracture which have been observed within the framework of our mobile and violent society.
Authors reviewed and evaluated clinical patterns and proper management of facial bone fracture patients who were admitted and treated in Yonsei Medical Center from March 1, 1973 to Setember 30, 1977.
1 here were 245 cases of facial bone fractures in that period. T
he following results were obtained.
1. Monthly incidence of facial bone fracture showed 32 cases in May at the most and Pt the least in January 15 cases.
2. During this period, a total of 245 patients with fractures of the facial bcnes were admitted to the hospital.
The sex incidence revealed 206 patients(84. 1%) in male and 39 patients(15.8%) in female.
The great incidence of the fracture occurred in the age group of between 10 Lo 40 years.
3. Traffic accidents ranked the top as the cause of facial bone fracture.
4. Mandibular fractures were most common facial bone fracture (33. 5%) during that period.
37 patients had multiple facial bone fractures.
5. Associated bracture is as follow in order of frequency.
1) Skull; 22 cases. 2) Upper extremities; 21 cases.
3) Lower extremities; 19 cases.
6. Soft tissue injury is as follow order of frequency.
1) Facial and peripheral laceration; 74 cases.
2) Severe skin abrasion and contusion, central; 5 cases.
3) Eye injury; 5 cases.
7. Life threatening associated injury as follow in order of frequency.
1) Cerebral contusion; 33 cases.
2) Airway obstruction; 8 cases.
3) Hemo-pneumothorax; 6 cases.
8. Almost 50% of the cases were treated within 48 hours after injury. 18(7.3%) patients were treated conservatively.
9. Closed reduction alone was done for 81(33. 1%) cases of our patients, while 37(15. 1%) done open reduction.
10. Complications are as follows.
1) Fever; 7 cases. 2) Local infection; 6 cases.
3) Pulmonary; 4 cases. 4) Death; 4 cases.
Three out of four cases died from severe head injury and one case secondary
to in traabdominal viscus rupture.
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