Pattern of maxillofacial fractures at Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, North East Nigeria.

Abstract

Background:  In the North Eastern region of Nigeria, there has been an increase in the scourge of insurgency related violence especially in the rural and sub-urban areas with consequent rise in urban migration. It is not yet known how this may have affected the pattern of maxillofacial fractures.

Objective: To describe the socio-demographics of patients with maxillofacial fractures and to determine the various causes and type of maxillofacial fractures observed in North Eastern zone of Nigeria.

Methods: A four (4) year retrospective review of maxillofacial fractures at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe spanning 2014 -2018 was conducted. Information such as   age, sex, occupation, causes and types of fractures are retrieved from the case files and data gathered analyzed using SPSS version 21.0.

Results: In the period under review, 324 (7.6%) patients had trauma of which 66 (20.4%) sustained maxillofacial fractures. These consisted of 61 (92.4%) males and 5 (7.6%) females; giving a male to female ratio of 12.2: 1. The overall age range was 15 – 54 years while the peak age range was 21 – 30 years. The most common cause and type of injury were automobile crashes (43.9%) and mandibular fractures (57.6%) respectively.

Conclusion: Despite the rise in insurgency related violence in North Eastern Nigeria, the pattern of facial fractures is similar to observations from other geopolitical zones and the global literature.

Keywords: Maxillofacial, fractures, North east, Nigeria