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. 2012 Jul;18(2):88-91.
doi: 10.4103/1117-6806.103114.

Pattern of Assault-induced Oral and Maxillofacial Injuries in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Obitade Sunday Obimakinde  1 , Victoria Njedika Okoje, Abiodun Olubayo Fasola
Affiliations

Pattern of Assault-induced Oral and Maxillofacial Injuries in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Obitade Sunday Obimakinde et al. Niger J Surg. 2012 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Assault, though a major cause of maxillofacial injuries in the developed nations, has not been adequately investigated among Nigerian population. This study aimed to analyze the pattern of maxillofacial injuries caused by assault in our institution.

Methods: A descriptive clinical survey of patients with assault-induced oral and maxillofacial injuries presenting to our maxillofacial surgery clinic/emergency ward was carried out. Demographic data and pattern of injuries obtained from patients' record and department trauma database were analyzed.

Results: 156 patients presented with oral and maxillofacial injuries between October 2009 and December 2010. Thirty-four cases were due to assault and male to female ratio was 1.8:1. The mean age of the patients was 21.4±6.26 years (age range 2-48 years). 23.6% (n=8) of the injuries were due to domestic violence between spouses while 35.3% (n=12) resulted from fight. Students unrest and armed robbery attack accounted for six cases each (17.7%, n=6), while there were two cases due to child battering. 64.3% (n=22) of the injuries sustained involved soft tissues while 35.7% involved hard tissues. Contusion was the most common isolated soft tissue injury accounting for 56% (n=10) while dentoalveolar fracture was the most encountered hard tissue injury (62.5%, n=16).

Conclusion: There is need for preventive strategies to reduce the incidence of assault-induced maxillofacial injuries.

Keywords: Assault; oral and maxillofacial injuries; pattern.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Showed the age distribution of assaulted patients in this series. It can be deduced that most victims of assault induced facial injuries are between 20 to 30 years of age
Figure 2
Figure 2
Showed the causes of oral and maxillofacial injuries in the patients studied. The figure revealed that fight accounted for more cases of injuries (n=12) followed by domestic violence (n=8). Other causes of injuries are armed robbery attack (n=6), students’ unrest (n=6) and child abuse (n=2)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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