Management Strategies for Geriatric Maxillofacial Fractures: An Anthropometric and Clinical Study in Taiwan. 2023

Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
From the Department of Surgery.

Geriatric maxillofacial trauma has become an increasingly pressing clinical issue in Taiwan because of increased life expectancy. The purposes of this study were to investigate the anthropometric changes and the posttrauma outcomes in the aging population and to optimize the management strategies for geriatric facial fractures. From 2015 to 2020, a total of 30 patients 65 years or older were identified to have suffered from maxillofacial fractures and presented at the emergency department of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH). These patients were categorized into group III, representing the elderly group. Two other groups (group I, age 18-40 years; group II, age 41-64 years) of patients were categorized based on their age. After applying propensity score matching to reduce bias caused by a large case number difference, patient demographics, anthropometric data, and management methods were compared and analyzed. Among 30 patients 65 years or older who met the inclusion criteria, the mean age of the matched group III was 77.31 ± 14.87 years, and the mean number of retained teeth was 11.77 (range, 3-20 teeth). The elderly patients had a significantly lower number of retained teeth (group I vs group II vs group III, 27.3 vs 25.23 vs 11.77; P < 0.001). Anthropometric data showed that facial bone structure degenerated significantly with advancing age. Outcome analysis demonstrated that falls accounted for 43.3% of injury mechanisms in the elderly group, followed by motorcycle accidents (30%) and car accidents (23.3%). Nineteen elderly patients (63%) received nonsurgical management. On the other hand, 86.7% of cases in the other 2 age groups underwent surgery. The average numbers of total hospital and intensive care unit stays in group III patients were 16.9 (range, 3-49 days) and 4.57 (range, 0-47 days), which was significantly longer than the other 2 age groups. Our results suggested that not only surgery is feasible for elderly patients with facial fractures, but an acceptable result is often obtainable. However, an eventful course, including extended hospital/intensive care unit stays and an increased risk of associated injuries and complications, may be expected.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008446 Maxillofacial Injuries General or unspecified injuries involving the face and jaw (either upper, lower, or both). Injuries, Maxillofacial,Injury, Maxillofacial,Maxillofacial Injury
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D004636 Emergency Service, Hospital Hospital department responsible for the administration and provision of immediate medical or surgical care to the emergency patient. Emergency Outpatient Unit,Emergency Services Utilization,Hospital Emergency Room,Hospital Emergency Service,Hospital Emergency Services Utilization,Accident and Emergency Department,Emergency Departments,Emergency Hospital Service,Emergency Room,Emergency Units,Emergency Ward,Hospital Service Emergency,Service, Hospital Emergency,Department, Emergency,Departments, Emergency,Emergencies, Hospital Service,Emergency Department,Emergency Hospital Services,Emergency Outpatient Units,Emergency Room, Hospital,Emergency Rooms,Emergency Rooms, Hospital,Emergency Services, Hospital,Emergency Unit,Emergency Wards,Emergency, Hospital Service,Hospital Emergency Rooms,Hospital Emergency Services,Hospital Service Emergencies,Hospital Service, Emergency,Hospital Services, Emergency,Outpatient Unit, Emergency,Outpatient Units, Emergency,Room, Emergency,Room, Hospital Emergency,Rooms, Emergency,Rooms, Hospital Emergency,Service Emergencies, Hospital,Service Emergency, Hospital,Service, Emergency Hospital,Services Utilization, Emergency,Services Utilizations, Emergency,Services, Emergency Hospital,Services, Hospital Emergency,Unit, Emergency,Unit, Emergency Outpatient,Units, Emergency,Units, Emergency Outpatient,Utilization, Emergency Services,Ward, Emergency,Wards, Emergency
D005147 Facial Bones The facial skeleton, consisting of bones situated between the cranial base and the mandibular region. While some consider the facial bones to comprise the hyoid (HYOID BONE), palatine (HARD PALATE), and zygomatic (ZYGOMA) bones, MANDIBLE, and MAXILLA, others include also the lacrimal and nasal bones, inferior nasal concha, and vomer but exclude the hyoid bone. (Jablonski, Dictionary of Dentistry, 1992, p113) Bone, Facial,Bones, Facial,Facial Bone
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000063 Accidents, Traffic Accidents on streets, roads, and highways involving drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or vehicles. Traffic accidents refer to AUTOMOBILES (passenger cars, buses, and trucks), BICYCLING, and MOTORCYCLES but not OFF-ROAD MOTOR VEHICLES; RAILROADS nor snowmobiles. Traffic Collisions,Traffic Crashes,Traffic Accidents,Accident, Traffic,Collision, Traffic,Collisions, Traffic,Crashes, Traffic,Traffic Accident,Traffic Collision
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D000369 Aged, 80 and over Persons 80 years of age and older. Oldest Old

Related Publications

Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
November 2002, Age and ageing,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
September 2019, Atlas of the oral and maxillofacial surgery clinics of North America,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
May 2024, World journal of clinical cases,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
January 1979, Proceedings of the Finnish Dental Society. Suomen Hammaslaakariseuran toimituksia,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
March 1987, Gaoxiong yi xue ke xue za zhi = The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
February 2014, Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
December 2023, Clinical orthopaedics and related research,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
January 1991, Zhonghua Minguo xiao er ke yi xue hui za zhi [Journal]. Zhonghua Minguo xiao er ke yi xue hui,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
January 2012, Archives of gerontology and geriatrics,
Guan-Jie Luo, and Pang-Yun Chou, and Chih-Hao Chen
July 1982, Southern medical journal,
Copied contents to your clipboard!