Citation

Harrison MG, Shepherd JP. J. R. Coll. Surg. Edinb. 1999; 44(2): 82-86.

Affiliation

UMDS Guy's Dental Hospital, London, U.K. mike.harrison@umds.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Playfair Trust on behalf of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10230200

Abstract

A prospective study of cyclists with maxillofacial injuries attending Accident and Emergency departments in South Wales was carried out over a 12 month period. 65% of the 104 accident victims were aged under 14 years, and 81% were male. Only 14% were wearing helmets. Injuries were mapped to 9 facial zones. Nearly half the victims sustained injury to the central facial zone. There was an association between head injury (HI) and the location of impact on the face (p < 0.0001 Chi-square = 41 df = 8), the nature of the accident (p < 0.012 Chi-square = 10.9 df = 3), and type of injury in the impact zone (p < 0.007 Chi-square = 13.4 df = 4). More patients with facial injuries but without facial bone fractures sustained HIs than those with fractures. The facial skeleton may protect the brain by absorbing impact. The high incidence of midface injuries could be reduced by incorporating a facebar in helmet design.