Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: The purpose of this study was to do a retrospective analysis about patients with mandibular fracture who were treated at the department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Regional University Hospital of Ancona, Italy, between 2011 and 2021. OBJECTIVE: In this study we evaluated clinical and epidemiological findings of mandible fractures focusing on the association between surgical timing, type of surgical approach and mid- and long-term outcomes. METHODS: Patients were evaluated based on various parameters including age, sex, etiology, symptoms, comorbidity, clinical findings, mandible fracture type, other facial fractures, treatment, waiting time before the operation, complications and sequelae. In the period described, we recorded 1023 mandibular fractures. 93% of patients underwent surgery under general anesthesia, almost exclusively patients undergoing an open approach to internal fixation. RESULTS: Of the patients, 684 were male (66.86%) and 339 were female (33.13%). The average age of the patients was 42, 38 years (range, 7-94 years). The leading cause of these fractures was traffic accidents (27.3%) and mandibular parasymphysis fractures were the most frequent (34.1%). The most common clinical signs and symptoms were malocclusion, difficulty in chewing, limitation of the buccal opening, hypoesthesia extending through the territory of the inferior alveolar nerve, difficulty in protrusion movements and mandibular lateralization. CONCLUSIONS: The continuous research in epidemiology, etiology, materials, and techniques will further refine the treatments of mandible fractures, which are nowadays more and more customized according to the type of trauma.