Abstract
There is dearth of information in the literature regarding the relationship between head injuries and facial trauma in literature. The objective of our study was to study this important relationship.
We evaluated 230 patients with maxillofacial trauma and intracranial injury admitted to our hospital, between 2012 and 2017. The rate of head injuries associated with facial trauma was 63 %. The most common associated head injury was concussion, followed by cerebral contusion and skull fractures. Falls were most common mode of injury followed by motor vehicle accidents.
This study also revealed that fracture of facial bones in anatomic proximity to the cranium was indicator for an amplified risk of brain injuries.
Keywords: Intracranial trauma, Traumatic brain injury, maxillofacial injury.
References
- Biros MH, Heegaard WG. Head injury. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al., eds. Rosen’s Emer- gency Medicine: Concepts and Clini- cal Practice. 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2009:chap. 38.
- Hayter JP, Ward AJ, Smith EJ (1991) Maxillofacial trauma in severely injured patients. Br J Oral MaxillofacSurg 29:370–373
- Pappachan B, Alexander M (2006) Correlating facial fractures and cranial injuries. J Oral MaxillofacSurg 64:1023–1029
- Haug RH, Prather J, Indresano AT (1990) An epidemiologic survey of facial fractures and concomitant injuries. J Oral Maxillofa- cialSurg 48:926–932
- Haug RH, Adams JM, Conforti PJ et al (1994) Cranial fractures associated with facial fractures: a review of mechanism, type, and severity of injury. J Oral MaxillofacSurg 52:729–733
- Hayter JP, Ward AJ, Smith EJ (1991) Maxillofacial trauma in severely injured patients. Br J Oral MaxillofacSurg 29:370–373
- Lee KF, Wagner LK, Lee YE et al (1987) The impact-absorbing effects of facial fractures in closed-head injuries. An analysis of 210 patients. J Neurosurg 66:542–547
- Chang CJ, Chen YR, Noordhoff MS et al (1994) Maxillary in- volvement in central craniofacial fractures with associated head injuries. J Trauma 37:807–811
- Davidoff G, Jakubowski M, Thomas D et al (1998) The spectrum of closed-head injuries in facial trauma victims: incidence and impact. Ann Emerg Med 17:6–9
- Martin RC 2nd, Spain DA, Richardson JD (2002) Do facial frac- tures protect the brain or are they a marker for severe head injury? Am Surg 68:477–481
- Yojana S, Mehta K, Girish M. Epidemiological Profile of Otorhino- laryngological Emergencies at a Medi- cal College, in Rural Area of Gujara. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Sep;64(3):218-224
- Bouguila J, Zairi I, Khonsari RH, Jablaoui Y, Hellali M, Adouani A. [Epi- demiology of maxillofacial traumatol- ogy in Tunis.] [in French] Rev StomatolChirMaxillofac. 2008 Dec; 109(6):353-7
- Lebeau J, Kanku V, Duroure F, Morand B, Sadek H, Raphaël B. Facial injuries treated in the Grenoble Uni- versity Hospital. Epidemiological analysis of 961 patients managed in one year. [in French] Rev Stomatol Chir Maxillofac. 2006 Jan;107 (1):23- 29.
- Khan AR, Arif S. Ear nose and throat injuries in children. J Ayub Med CollAbbottabad.2005 Jan-Mar;17: 54-6
- Goodisson, D, MacFarlane, M, Snape, L. Darwish, B, Head injury and associated maxillofacial injuries. N Z Med J. 2004 Sep 10;117(1201): U1045.
- Haug RH, Prather J, Indresano AT (1990) An epidemiologic sur- vey of facial fractures and concomitant injuries. J Oral Maxillofa- cialSurg 48:926–932
- Haug RH, Adams JM, Conforti PJ et al (1994) Cranial fractures associated with facial fractures: a review of mechanism, type, and severity of injury. J Oral MaxillofacSurg 52:729–733
- Hohlrieder M, Hinterhoelzl J, Ulmer H et al (2004) Maxillofacial fractures masking traumatic intracranial hemorrhages. Int J Oral MaxillofacSurg 33:389–395
- Kloss F, Laimer K, Hohlrieder M et al (2008) Traumatic intracra-nialhaemo-rrhage in conscious patients with facial fractures—a review of 1959 cases. J CraniomaxillofacSurg 36:372–377
- Haug RH, Savage JD, Likavec MJ et al (1992) A review of 100 closed head injuries associated with facial fractures. J Oral MaxillofacSurg 50:218–222
Corresponding Author
Nahida Dar
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, SGT Dental College