The facial-bone fractures among fatally injured car occupants in frontal collisions

Abstract The retrospective study was performed of all deceased car-occupants in frontal car collisions in order to identify persons with facial-bone fractures. The sample consisted of 482 cases: 378 males and 104 females, average age of 39.59 ± 16.01 years. There were 239 car-drivers, 194 front-seat passengers, and 49 rear-seat passengers. In 46 of 482 cases, single fracture of upper facial bones was established: nasal fractures were the most common, followed by zygomatic. In 118 of 482 cases, fracture of upper facial bones was established, as well as 70 cases of jawbone. The fractured facial bones either of the upper or lower face could not be a factor that predicts the position of the deceased in the motor vehicle at the moment of injury ( λ = 0.989, p > 0.05). The multi-fractured facial-bones were very often associated with the multi-fractured cranial bones – 85 cases ( χ2 = 138.75, df = 8, p < 0.001), as well as jawbone fracture – 35 cases ( χ2 = 20.52, df = 4, p < 0.001). Brain injuries were more present and more severe (coup and contrecoup-contusion and brain laceration) if more facial-bone fractures were involved ( χ2 = 147.99, df = 8, p < 0.001). Cases with only contrecoup brain contusions, assosiated with multi-fractured facial-bones, were rare – 6 of 118. These fractures are very often associated with cranial fractures, as well as with brain injuries and were caused by intensive contact of the deceased’s head with the car’s pillar.