Risk Factors for Severe Complications of Operative Mandibular Fractures

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to identify the risk factors for major complications developing during the operative treatment of mandibular fractures.

Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective medical record review of patients who had undergone open reduction, internal fixation of mandibular fractures from August 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014 at a large, urban teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center. The outcome variable of interest was major complications, defined as the occurrence of any one of the following events: hospital readmission, return to the operating room, and a prolonged, unexpected postoperative stay. Multiple demographic, social, medical, injury-related, and treatment-related variables were recorded during the medical record review. The relationships between these variables and our outcome variable were analyzed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Results: A total of 317 patients met the inclusion criteria. The hospital readmission rate was 7.2%, the reoperation rate was 9.5%, and the rate of unplanned, prolonged admission was 0.6%, for a total major complication rate of 11.4%. Eight variables reached statistical significance in their association with the occurrence of major complications. These were the presence of medical comorbidities, a diagnosis of depression, a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder, incarceration, interpersonal violence as a mechanism of injury, the presence of a left angle fracture, the removal of a tooth in the line of fracture, and patient noncompliance. On multivariable analysis, patient noncompliance, depression, the presence of a left angle fracture, and the removal of a tooth in the line of fracture continued to have statistically significant associations with the occurrence of major complications.

Conclusions: The identification of risk factors for the development of complications in mandibular trauma is a primary concern for surgeons in the modern healthcare system. The present study identified a number of variables significantly associated with an increased risk of the occurrence of major complications, and special consideration should be given to patients with these risk factors.