Incidence of Comminuted Mandibular Fractures During the Year 1399 at the National and Specialized Police Hospital
Key words: Mandible, Titanium, Titanium Mesh, Comminuted Fractures
Mohammad Adel Akhtar
Abstract
Multiple-fragment mandibular fractures represent one of the most severe types of lower jaw injuries, frequently resulting from war-related incidents, traffic accidents, mine explosions, and falls from heights. The main goals of treatment are to restore anatomical alignment, mandibular function, and facial aesthetics. This descriptive case series study was conducted on 38 patients with multiple-fragment mandibular fractures, selected using a convenience sampling method. Over the course of one year, 39,600 patients visited the hospital, of whom 2,325 were trauma cases. Among the 38 patients with multiple-fragment mandibular fractures, 36 (94.7%) were male and 2 (5.3%) were female. The causes included gunshot wounds in 27 cases (71.0%), traffic accidents in 5 cases (13.1%), and mine explosions in 6 cases (15.7%). The majority of cases occurred in the second and third decades of life (26 cases, 68.4%), followed by the fourth and fifth decades (11 cases, 28.9%), and one case (2.6%) in the sixth decade. Surgical intervention was the primary treatment, with 22 patients (57.8%) receiving internal fixation and 16 patients (42.1%) external fixation. Postoperative complications included mild malocclusion and chewing difficulties in 4 patients (10.5%), inferior alveolar nerve injury and mandibular bone loss in 2 patients (5.2%), and bone and soft tissue defects affecting aesthetics in 3 patients (7.8%). The most severe mandibular fractures require internal fixation using plates and mini-screws, often supplemented by titanium mesh for extensive tissue damage. Common postoperative complications include aesthetic deformities, impaired mastication, tissue defects, and local numbness. Effective surgical management remains essential to restore function and appearance in these complex cases.
