Three-year review of facial fractures at a teaching hospital in northern Iran

During the three years March 2001–February 2004, 7200 patients with maxillofacial trauma were seen at Poorsina Hospital, of whom 2160 had 4752 fractures of facial bones, 3089 (65%) mainly mandibular and 1663 (35%) mainly midfacial. Road traffic collisions accounted for the injuries in 6552 of the 7200 patients (91%), falls in 396 patients (5.5%), assault in 208 (2.9%) and sport and other causes in 44 (0.6%). The male (n = 6646) to female (n = 554) ratio was 12:1. During summer, Iranian weekends (Thursdays–Fridays) and the Iranian new year (begins on 21 March), the incidence was much higher than at other times.