FRIDAY, Oct. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- The patterns of pediatric mandible fracture vary with age and sex, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
James A. Owusu, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis to report the patterns, demographics, and causes of pediatric mandible fractures. Data were included from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Emergency Sample from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2012. Patients included were those aged 18 and younger who reported to emergency departments.
The researchers identified 1,984 records, representing a weighted estimate of 8,848 cases (male: female ratio, 4:1). The mean patient age was 14 years; females were comparatively younger (mean age, 12.5 years). The condyle was the most frequently fractured site (14.6 percent) followed by the angle (14.1 percent). Among patients aged 12 years and younger, the most frequent fracture site was the condyle (27.9 percent) and the most frequent cause was falls (30.3 percent). In patients aged 13 to 18 years, the most frequent fracture site was the angle (17.6 percent) and the most frequent cause was assault (39.9 percent). For males and females, the most frequently fractured site was the angle and condyle (15 and 20.3 percent, respectively), and the leading cause was assault and falls (33.5 and 23.2 percent, respectively).
"Younger patients and female patients tend to have condyle fractures caused more commonly by falls while older patients and male patients tend to have angle fractures caused by assault," the authors write.
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