Citation

Arosarena OA, Fritsch TA, Hsueh Y, Aynehchi B, Haug R. Arch. Facial Plast. Surg. 2009; 11(1): 48-52.

Affiliation

Department of Otolaryngology, Temple University School of Medicine, 3440 N Broad St, Kresge Hall, Ste 102, Philadelphia, PA 19140. oneida.arosarena@temple.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/archfacial.2008.507

PMID

19153293

Abstract

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 attention, 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.

Language: en