Abstract
Facial fractures involve injuries to the facial and jaw structures, and are commonly a result of interpersonal violence (IPV), road traffic accidents (RTA), and sports-related accidents in New Zealand. Fractures involving the nasal bones, mandible, and zygoma are the most frequent anatomical sites involved. Furthermore, Māori and Pacific people experience a higher prevalence of facial fractures than other ethnic groups in New Zealand, with IPV playing a major role in their injuries. The most recent national-level investigation on facial fractures in New Zealand was conducted for the years 1999 to 2009. This investigation reported the most recent data on facial fractures in New Zealand between 2010 and 2022.
Objectives
To provide an overview of the epidemiology of facial fractures in New Zealand from 2010 to 2022.
Methods
A retrospective study of maxillofacial trauma data in New Zealand was conducted using data acquired from the Ministry of Health (MOH) hospital discharge dataset (National Minimum Dataset) and Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for the period between 1st of January 2010 to 31st December 2022. The Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) was utilised to access the NMDS and ACC data, as they collect these data routinely under Stats NZ for research purposes.
Results
A total of 30,510 facial fractures were reported over the study period, with a yearly mean of 2,346. Males accounted for most of the facial fractures reported (73.1%), which equated to a 3:1 male-to-female ratio. Almost a third of all facial fractures occurred in the 20-29 age group. NZ European people experienced more than half (54.4%) of facial fractures. Furthermore, Māori comprised (27.6%), Pacific people (8.8%), Asians (6.2%), and the Middle Eastern and Latin American (MELAA) communities (1.4%) of the total fractures. A majority of fractures occurred from IPV (39.7%), followed by falls (27.9%), other/sports (17.6%), RTA (12.8%), and medical misadventures (1.5%). IPV was the leading cause of facial fractures among Māori (36.7%) and Pacific people (34.8 %).
Conclusions
The yearly number of facial fractures is comparable to previous investigations, and despite a significant decrease in facial fractures related to IPV, it remains the leading aetiological factor. Ethnic disparities remain evident in the distribution of facial fractures, with Māori and Pacific people experiencing a higher relative risk of facial fractures in NZ, and the majority of their fractures are attributed to IPV.