Paediatric Mandibular Fractures

Background: Paediatric mandibular fractures unlike adult mandibular fractures are said to be rare. When not recognised early, they may be associated with significant problems such abnormal mandibular growth. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of paediatric patients with mandibular fractures presenting to a university teaching hospital from August 1999 to December 2019. Information sourced from patient’s case notes and operating records included age, sex, aetiology, investigation, concomitant injuries, treatment and complications. The retrieved data were recorded in a personal computer, analysed with appropriate statistical tool and presented in tables and figures. Results: A total of 550 patients who presented with mandibular fractures within the period of the study constituted the study population. Of these, 84 (15.3%) occurred in the paediatric age group. The ages of the patients ranged from 1 to 17 years with a mean age of 10.3 ± 5.0 years and there was a gender ratio (male: female) of 1.9:1. Road traffic accident accounted for most mandibular fractures. The imaging modality used in assessing mandibular fractures was mainly plain radiography and treatment was administered in 60 (71.4%) patients, with closed reduction method (n = 45; 75.0%) being the most frequent technique used. The period of hospital stay ranged from 3 to 90 days with a mean of 16.8 days. Conclusion: Mandibular fractures in paediatric population were noted to be more common in males and the main aetiology was pedestrian-related road traffic accidents. There is a need for continual review of injury prevention strategies in the paediatric group.