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Management of Facial Fractures in a Teaching Hospital North-west Nigeria: Our Methods and Challenges
Corresponding Author(s) : olatunde oluleke omisakin
Journal of Health Sciences and Practice,
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Health Sciences and Practice (JHSP)
Abstract
Background: Oral and maxillofacial region are made of several bones which are connected to each other and are affected by direct or indirect impact to the facial structures causing diverse types of facial bone fractures. There are several challenges that are encountered in the management of these fractures. This study reviewed etiology, demography, fracture patterns and management of facial bone fractures.
Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of facial fractures that were treated at the Barau Dikko Teaching hospital, Nigeria. The study period span from January, 2010 to December, 2023. Information was collected from the theatre register, clinic register, accident and emergency register and radiology register. The information collected includes patient demography, etiology of fracture, fracture patterns, treatment received, complications of the fractures and challenges in the management.
Results: Patients with facial bones fracture that received treatment in our Centre were 114 during the period of study. Males were more affected than females by a ratio of 5.3: 1. The age ranged from 6 years to 70 years, the mean age is 38 years SD ±18.76 Most injuries were due to road traffic accidents (n= 62, 54.39%), then missiles (gunshot & bomb blast) (n=20, 17.55%), fall from height (n=13, 11.40%), interpersonal violence (n=11, 9.65%), sport injuries (n=6, 5.26%), industrial accident (n= 2, 1.75%). The commonest site of fracture was the mandible, other common sites were maxillae (Leforte 1, 11 and 11I), zygomatic arch, nasal and frontal bone. Reduction and immobilization was the treatment for facial bone fractures. Limitation of mouth opening, gag occlusion, anterior and lateral overbites, loss of teeth, altered arch and weight loss were some of the complications encountered.
Conclusion: The commonest cause of facial bones fractures was road traffic accident, therefore all efforts must be made to reduce this trend, by obeying traffic rules and regulations. Adult males were the most affected. Most of the maxillofacial fractures in this study were treated by closed reduction and immobilization.
Keywords: Facial, fracture, management, mandible, trauma.