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. 2015 Dec;16(3):136-142.
doi: 10.7181/acfs.2015.16.3.136. Epub 2015 Dec 9.

A Retrospective Analysis of 303 Cases of Facial Bone Fracture: Socioeconomic Status and Injury Characteristics

Byeong Jun Kim  1 , Se Il Lee  1 , Chan Min Chung  1
Affiliations

A Retrospective Analysis of 303 Cases of Facial Bone Fracture: Socioeconomic Status and Injury Characteristics

Byeong Jun Kim et al. Arch Craniofac Surg. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The incidence and etiology of facial bone fracture differ widely according to time and geographic setting. Because of this, prevention and management of facial bone fracture requires ongoing research. This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic status and the incidence of facial bone fractures in patients who had been admitted for facial bone fractures.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed for all patients admitted for facial bone fracture at the National Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) from 2010 to 2014. We sought correlations amongst age, gender, fracture type, injury mechanism, alcohol consumption, and type of medical insurance.

Results: Out of the 303 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 214 (70.6%) patients were enrolled in National Health Insurance (NHI), 46 (15.2%) patients had Medical Aid, and 43 (14.2%) patients were homeless. The main causes of facial bone fractures were accidental trauma (51.4%), physical altercation (23.1%), and traffic accident (14.2%). On Pearson's chi-square test, alcohol consumption was correlated significantly with accidental trauma (p<0.05). And, the ratio of alcohol consumption leading to facial bone fractures differed significantly in the homeless group compared to the NHI group and the Medical Aid group (p<0.05).

Conclusion: We found a significant inverse correlation between economic status and the incidence of facial bone fractures caused by alcohol consumption. Our findings indicate that more elaborate guidelines and prevention programs are needed for socioeconomically marginalized populations.

Keywords: Facial bone fracture; Homeless; National Health Insurance.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Distribution of the fractures according to injury mechanism. More than half of the fractures (156; 51.4%) were caused by accidental trauma, followed by physical altercation and traffic accidents.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Injury mechanism by age group. In most age groups, the most common injury mechanisms were accidental trauma, physical altercation, and traffic accidents. The percentage of sports-related accidents drastically declined after 40 years of age.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Medical insurance type and injury mechanism. For all types of health insurance coverage, the most common injury mechanisms were accidental trauma, physical altercation, and traffic accidents. NHI, National Health Insurance.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Distribution of the fractures according to fracture type. Nasal fractures, zygomatic complex fractures, and orbit fractures comprised more than 80% of all facial bone fractures. NEO, nasoethmoidal orbital.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Yang EZ, Kim CY. The relationship between socioeconomical status and incidence of facial bone fracture. J Korean Soc Plast Reconstr Surg. 2011;38:263–272.

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