Maxillofacial Injuries and Violence Against Women

Oneida A. Arosarena, Travis A. Fritsch, Yichung Hsueh, Behrad Aynehchi, Richard Haug
2009 Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery  
Objective: To determine if patterns of facial injuries differed between those of female assault victims with maxillofacial injuries and those of female patients with maxillofacial injuries from other causes. Methods: We reviewed the medical and dental records of 326 adult female facial trauma patients treated by otolaryngologists and oral/maxillofacial surgeons at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Information abstracted included date of injury, dates of presentation for medical
more » ... n, mechanism(s) of injury, diagnoses, and treatments. Results: While victims of intimate partner violence were more likely to have zygomatic complex fractures, orbital blow-out fractures, and intracranial injuries than were other patients with facial trauma, women assaulted by unknown or unidentified assailants were more likely to have mandible fractures (P =.004). Conclusion: These results in conjunction with other presenting circumstances, such as delay in presentation, can assist the surgeon treating patients with maxillofacial injury in recognizing interpersonal violence against women.
doi:10.1001/archfacial.2008.507 pmid:19153293 fatcat:6vlkxxhj2rfmxleniwanhaaq7e