Sports related maxillofacial injuries: the first maxillofacial trauma database in Switzerland

• Published in: British journal of sports medicine Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 750 - 753
• Main Authors: Exadaktylos, A K, Eggensperger, N M, Eggli, S, Smolka, K M, Zimmermann, H, Iizuka, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine 01.12.2004; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Group
• Subjects: accidents; Athletic Injuries - epidemiology; computer; Databases, Factual; Emergency medical care; Face; Facial Bones - injuries; Humans; maxillofacial injuries; Maxillofacial Injuries - epidemiology; Maxillofacial Injuries - etiology; Medical records; Original; Physicians; Prevention; Prospective Studies; Quality Control; Skull Fractures - epidemiology; Skull Fractures - etiology; Software; Sports injuries; Studies; surveillance; Switzerland - epidemiology; trauma; Switzerland
• ISSN: 0306-3674; 1473-0480
• DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2003.008581

Background: With the increase in the amount of medical data handled by emergency units, advances in computerisation have become necessary. New computer technology should have a major influence on accident analysis and prevention and the quality of research in the future. Objectives: To investigate the occurrence of sports related maxillofacial injuries using a newly installed relational database. To establish the first sports trauma database in Switzerland. Methods: The Qualicare databank was used to prospectively review 57 248 case histories of patients treated in the Department of Emergency Medicine between January 2000 and December 2002. Pre-defined key words were used to collect data on sports related maxillofacial injuries. Results: A total of 750 patients with maxillofacial injuries were identified. Ninety (12%) were sports related maxillofacial fractures. Most (27%) were sustained during skiing and snowboarding, 22% during team sports such as soccer or ice hockey, and 21% were from cycling accidents. Sixty eight per cent of the cyclists, 50% of the ice hockey players and soccer players, and 48% of the skiers and snowboarders had isolated fractures of the midface. Fractures of the mandible were noted predominantly in contact sports. Conclusions: Computerisation of trauma and emergency units and the introduction of customised software can significantly reduce the workload of researchers and doctors. The effective use of new computer technology should have a considerable influence on research and the quality of future prospective and retrospective studies.