Citation

Saheeb BD. West Afr. J. Med. 2003; 22(2): 146-149.

Affiliation

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, West African College of Physicians and West African College of Surgeons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

14529225

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of positions on the incidence and severity of maxillofacial injuries in vehicular crashes. Two hundred and fifty cases of RTA were seen and studied from October 1999 to May, 2000. They comprised 72.8% males and 27.2% females with a male to female ratio of 2.7:1. The age range was 1 to 80 years with a mean age of 40 years. The most common vehicle involved in RTA was the mini bus, 34.3% followed by motorcycle, 26.5%. Middle seat passengers, drivers and motorcycle passengers and riders sustained more and severe injuries during crashes. The mandible was more frequently fractured at the symphysis (24.6%) than at any other site while the maxilla was frequently fractured at the zygomatic bone and arch (10.8%). More injuries occurred in the age range of 20-30 years and these accounted for 31.8% of the cases. Only 6 occupants of motor vehicles wore seat belts before accident while no motorcycle rider or passenger wore any helmet. In conclusion, drivers, middle seat occupants of a vehicle, motorcycle passenger and riders sustained more and severe injuries than back seat occupants.