Clinical characteristics of mandibular fractures in patients over 50 years of age

Introduction/Objective. The most commonly used methods of treatment of mandibular fracture are not always successful in older patients. This is due to decreased regenerative ability, impaired vascularization, osteoporosis, and atrophic changes. The corresponding changes are often found in patients over 50 years of age, especially accompanied with teeth loss. The objective was to review the clinical characteristics of mandibular fractures in older patients based on a retrospective analysis of medical records. Methods. A group of patients over 50 years of age was selected and analyzed among patients with mandibular fractures who had been treated for 10 years. Results. A total of 642 patients over 50 years with 1,003 fracture lines were identified. This represents 8.53% of the total number of patients with mandibular fractures. Comorbidities were diagnosed in 67% of cases. Significant differences in the distribution of the frequency of fracture lines by localization were identified, depending on the presence or absence of occlusal contact. A high incidence rate of open fractures and bone fragment dislocation was observed both in individuals with or without occlusive contact. Conclusion. Patients over 50 years of age are a statistically important group in the general population of patients with mandibular fractures with a number of clinical features. To the author?s knowledge, this study comprises the largest number of patients over the age of 50 with mandibular fractures, including those with edentulous mandible, which ensures the required level of representation, allowing reliable clinical characterization of this contingent of patients.