INCIDENCE AND PATTERNS OF MAXILLOFACIAL FRACTURES IN PEDIATRIC AND ADULT PATIENTS: A TEN YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Background and aims: Treatment for maxillofacial fractures, which affect the mandible, maxilla, zygomatic bone, and nose, depends on the form and severity of the injury. In order to manage complicated patients needing closed reduction or open reduction and internal fixation, university hospitals such as Al-Thawra General Modern Hospital in Sana'a employ cutting-edge surgical procedures and interdisciplinary care. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate related fracture types and aetiology, as well as the types and treatments of maxillofacial fractures among patients sent to the Al-Thawra General Modern Hospital in Sana'a. Materials and methods: This retrospective investigation looked at the data of 1141 patients, ages 3 to 60, which had maxillofacial fractures between January 2014 and December 2023. Age, gender, the site and aetiology of the fracture, and the course of therapy were all taken from the historical records and analysed. Results: Males constituted 78.7% and females 21.3% of the population studied. Among children, males were 77.74% and females 22.26%, with a mean age of 10.4 years, primarily in the 11–15-year age group (56.1%). In adults, males made up 79.1% and females 20.9%, with a mean age of 26.1 years, predominantly aged 16–25 years (60.6%). The primary causes of fractures were road traffic accidents (56.1%), falls from heights (22.5%), and assaults (13.3%). In an alternate dataset, traffic accidents were noted at 50%. Mandible fractures were the most frequent, accounting for 31.4% of cases, followed by zygomatic (17.2%) and condylar fractures (8.9%). Conclusions: The majority of victims of maxillofacial fractures and injuries in the child and adult categories were males between the ages of 16 and 25. Traffic accidents, falls from heights, and attacks were the main causes of fractures. Zygomatic and condylar fractures were the next most common, after mandibular fractures.                     Peer Review History: Received 4 December 2025;   Reviewed 17 January 2026; Accepted  15 February; Available online 15 March 2026 Academic Editor: Dr. Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia,  Indonesia, ahmad.najib@umi.ac.id Reviewers: Dr. Alfonso Alexander Aguileral, University of Veracruz,  Mexico, aalexander_2000@yahoo.com Ahmed Tagelsir Mohamed Ali, National University, Sudan, ahmedtagelsir7@hotmail.com