Incidence and Pattern of Cranio-Maxillofacial Injuries: A 22 year Retrospective Analysis of Cases Operated at Major Trauma Hospitals/Centres in Pune, India.

This study aims to retrospectively analyze the incidence and pattern of cranio-maxillofacial injuries in the developing world in a hope to emphasize on authorities the need of improvising infrastructural facilities, medical and other. Hospital medical records with available radiographs of 6,872 patients treated for cranio-maxillofacial injuries at major trauma centres in Pune, India over a 22 year period (from July 1989 to June 2010) were reviewed. Relevant data pertaining to patients' age, sex, cause of injury, sites of injury, associated injuries, anaesthesia, various treatment modalities and complications were recorded and analyzed statistically. A total of 6,872 patients sustained maxillofacial injuries of which 5,936 (86.4 %) were caused by road traffic accidents (RTA), followed by fall in 608 cases. Distribution pattern of sex revealed male predominance (M:F-2.5:1) and the third decade age group (2,416) sustained maximum cranio-maxillofacial injuries. Of 12,503 cranio-maxillofacial sites involved, mandible (6,456) predominated, while there was middle third involvement in 5,024 cases. Most of the patients (4,856) were treated with open reduction and internal fixation without maxillo-mandibular fixation and complications were noted in 320 patients. In comparison to similar recent studies reported in the literature, our findings show that RTA remains the most common cause of cranio-maxillofacial injuries with male preponderance. Also RTA remains the major preventable etiological factor of cranio-maxillofacial injuries, which should prompt authorities to take "Herculean effort" to implement rules and educate people.