Facial fractures are commonly present in hospital patients admitted for trauma care. The establishment of clinical indicators for uncovering facial fractures has been insufficiently studied. The main objectives of this study were to determine midface facial fracture diagnostics, etiology, characteristics, indicators, related outcomes, and treatments within a trauma patient population. A clinical epidemiologic study was conducted using a retrospective observational design. Level I trauma center data was used from the years of 2007-2009. Key data sources were Iowa Methodist Trauma registry, radiographic scans and notes, electronic medical records, and billing records. A case-control and a retrospective cohort design were used to address study objectives. Analyses included bivariate comparative tests along with multivariate logistic regression modeling. The study demonstrated that the majority of facial fractures in the patient population were diagnosed with maxillofacial computed tomography scans. Patients had a median of 2 (interquartile range: 2-4) facial fractures with the orbit bones being the most commonly fractured bones. Of patients with fracture, 48% had a direct or indirect health outcome related to their fracture and 51% of patients had their fracture left to self-resolve with minimal self-care. Statistically significant indicators of facial fracture included the presence of periorbital contusion, open wound of the forehead, epistaxis, blood in ethmoid sinus, and blood in maxillary sinus, while motor vehicle collision appeared to have a disproportionately low relationship with fracture. Based on these risk factors, three potential risk groups for facial fracture were proposed, stratifying study patients into subpopulations per their estimated risk level. Study results will help clinicians better understand facial fracture. The revealed indicators and risk levels for facial fracture may serve to help determine when fractures may be present in similar trauma patient populations. Further research should be conducted to validate the internal validity as well as the generalizability of study results in other trauma centers and patients.

Este estudo analisou por meio de um eletromiógrafo de superfície as atividades dos músculos masseteres, direito e esquerdo, de 30 pacientes com diagnóstico de fratura de ossos da face, com uma média de 1,33 fraturas por paciente, em quatro momentos, no pré-operatório e nos pós-operatórios equivalentes ao 7°, 30° e 60° dias posteriores à cirurgia. Considerou-se o valor de cada medida, a média entre três contrações máximas isométricas voluntárias de duração de cinco segundos cada uma. Os paciente foram agrupados de acordo com o diagnóstico da fratura, sendo com fratura da mandíbula 50%, fratura do zigomático 33%, fratura da maxila 10% e com fraturas associadas 6,7%. Os pacientes apresentaram menor atividade dos músculo masseter no período pré-operatório, quando comparado a valores considerados normais, em todos os grupos de fraturas, seguida de queda acentuada no pós operatório de 07 dias, sendo que todos os grupos apresentaram recuperação da atividade em 60 dias, porém abaixo do valor normal encontrado na literatura. Os valores médio observados foram em ordem decrescente: fratura de zigomático, fratura de mandíbula, fratura de maxila e fraturas associadas. As fraturas de mandíbulas unilaterais apresentaram maiores valores que as fraturas bilaterais na maioria dos tempos. Houve diferença altamente significante na comparação da evolução da atividade do músculo masseter direito e esquerdo para as fraturas de mandíbula e de zigomático, sendo que na comparação par a par houve diferença significante entre a maioria dos grupos. / This study analyzed using a surface electromyographic activity of the masseter muscles, right and left, of 30 patients with fractures of facial bones, with an average of 1.33 fractures per patient, four times, the pre-operative and postoperative equivalent to the 7th, 30th and 60th days after surgery. It was considered the value of each measurement, the average of three isometric maximum voluntary contractions for five seconds each. Patients were grouped according to the diagnosis of fracture, 50% of the mandible fracture, 33% of the zygomatic fracture, 10% of maxilla fracture and 6,7% with associated fractures. The patients showed lower activity of the masseter muscle in the preoperative period, when compared to normal values in all groups of fractures, followed by a sharp drop in the postoperative period of 07 days, and all groups showed a recovery of activity in 60 days, but below the normal value found in the literature. The average values were observed in decreasing order: zygomatic fracture, mandible fracture, maxilla fracture and associated fractures. The unilateral jaw fractures showed higher values than the bilateral fractures in most of the times. There was a highly significant difference in comparing the evolution of the activity of the masseter muscle right and left to the mandibular and zygomatic fractures, if compared pairwise significant difference between most groups.

Este estudo analisou por meio de um eletromiógrafo de superfície as atividades dos músculos masseteres, direito e esquerdo, de 30 pacientes com diagnóstico de fratura de ossos da face, com uma média de 1,33 fraturas por paciente, em quatro momentos, no pré-operatório e nos pós-operatórios equivalentes ao 7°, 30° e 60° dias posteriores à cirurgia. Considerou-se o valor de cada medida, a média entre três contrações máximas isométricas voluntárias de duração de cinco segundos cada uma. Os paciente foram agrupados de acordo com o diagnóstico da fratura, sendo com fratura da mandíbula 50%, fratura do zigomático 33%, fratura da maxila 10% e com fraturas associadas 6,7%. Os pacientes apresentaram menor atividade dos músculo masseter no período pré-operatório, quando comparado a valores considerados normais, em todos os grupos de fraturas, seguida de queda acentuada no pós operatório de 07 dias, sendo que todos os grupos apresentaram recuperação da atividade em 60 dias, porém abaixo do valor normal encontrado na literatura. Os valores médio observados foram em ordem decrescente: fratura de zigomático, fratura de mandíbula, fratura de maxila e fraturas associadas. As fraturas de mandíbulas unilaterais apresentaram maiores valores que as fraturas bilaterais na maioria dos tempos. Houve diferença altamente significante na comparação da evolução da atividade do músculo masseter direito e esquerdo para as fraturas de mandíbula e de zigomático, sendo que na comparação par a par houve diferença significante entre a maioria dos grupos. / This study analyzed using a surface electromyographic activity of the masseter muscles, right and left, of 30 patients with fractures of facial bones, with an average of 1.33 fractures per patient, four times, the pre-operative and postoperative equivalent to the 7th, 30th and 60th days after surgery. It was considered the value of each measurement, the average of three isometric maximum voluntary contractions for five seconds each. Patients were grouped according to the diagnosis of fracture, 50% of the mandible fracture, 33% of the zygomatic fracture, 10% of maxilla fracture and 6,7% with associated fractures. The patients showed lower activity of the masseter muscle in the preoperative period, when compared to normal values in all groups of fractures, followed by a sharp drop in the postoperative period of 07 days, and all groups showed a recovery of activity in 60 days, but below the normal value found in the literature. The average values were observed in decreasing order: zygomatic fracture, mandible fracture, maxilla fracture and associated fractures. The unilateral jaw fractures showed higher values than the bilateral fractures in most of the times. There was a highly significant difference in comparing the evolution of the activity of the masseter muscle right and left to the mandibular and zygomatic fractures, if compared pairwise significant difference between most groups.