Changing trends in causes and patterns of facial fractures in children.

OBJECTIVE: To review the epidemiology of facial fractures in children and to analyze whether it has changed over time.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of records of children aged < or = 15 years diagnosed for fracture during 2 10-year periods.

RESULTS: A total of 378 children were diagnosed with fractures, 187 in 1980-1989 and 191 in 1993-2002. The proportion of children with mandibular fractures decreased by 13.6 percentage-points from the first period to the second, whereas the proportion of patients with midfacial fractures increased by 18.7 percentage-points. Assault as a causative factor increased by 5.5 percentage-points, almost exclusively among children aged 13-15 years, with a high percentage (23.5%).

CONCLUSIONS: Recognition of a change in fracture patterns over time is probably due to the increased use of computerized tomographic scanning.