Aetiology and incidence of facial fractures sustained during sports: a prospective study of 140 patients

A prospective study was carried out involving patients presenting with facial fractures sustained during sports. One hundred and forty patients were admitted to the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital of Paris between March 1998 and March 2000, accounting for 13.3% of all patients with facial bone fractures. The ratio of males to females was 7.2:1 and the mean age was 28.5 years. The majority of accidents occurred during soccer (25.0%), followed by rugby (15.0%), and as a consequence of collisions between players (50.7%). The majority of the injuries involved the mandible (34.4%), the zygomatic bone (23.4%) and the nasal bone (15.6%). The sporting activities were classified as either contact or non-contact sports. Frontal sinus, central midface and LeFort fractures were seen more often in vehicular sports such as mountainbiking and skiing. The authors stress the importance of preventive measures, including the use of protective equipment, periodic sports medical check-ups and personal discipline.