Maxillofacial injuries sustained during soccer: incidence, severity and risk factors.
Dent Traumatol
; 24(2): 193-6, 2008 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18352923
ABSTRACT
A very popular sport worldwide, soccer generates a great number of maxillofacial injuries, mainly fractures, resulting in esthetic or functional problems. The aim of this retrospective study was to contribute to the knowledge of soccer-related maxillofacial injuries, and call attention to the risk factors that favor these injuries. A total of 108 patients, who attended hospital because of maxillofacial injuries during soccer within a period of 8 years, were included in this study. The relationship of the patients with soccer, the type, the site, the severity, the mechanism of the injuries and the applied treatment were analyzed. The injured were all males, and were principally amateurs. Around 89.8% of the patients suffered maxillofacial fractures while 10.2% presented only soft tissue injuries; 13.9% had multiple fractures; 50% of the maxillofacial fractures concerned the zygomatic complex and 38.2% the mandible where the majority occurred at the angle. The prevailing mechanism was the direct impact of players. Head to head impact outnumbered. Elbow to head impact caused contusions of the temporomandibular joint. Kick to head impact was the main cause of multiple fractures. The treatment of fractures was mainly surgical (68.2%). These findings support the fact that maxillofacial injuries sustained during soccer tend to be severe, demanding surgical treatment. The mandibular angle is in danger due to the usual existence of impacted and semi-impacted third molars. There should be a preventive intervention on the above contributors, and mainly coaches and sports physicians should be properly informed about the specificity of the maxillofacial injuries.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Athletic Injuries
/
Soccer
/
Maxillofacial Injuries
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Incidence_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
Dent Traumatol
Journal subject:
ODONTOLOGIA
/
TRAUMATOLOGIA
Year:
2008
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Greece