SPORTS-RELATED FACIAL FRACTURES - A REVIEW OF 137 PATIENTS

One hundred and thirty-seven patients with sports-related facial fract ures were reviewed. These made up 16.3% of 839 patients with facial fr actures seen at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, between June 1989 and June 1992. Males made u p 93.4% of patients and and 89.1% were aged below 35 years. There was an intent to injure in 11%. Australian Rules football was the causativ e sport in 52.6%, all the injuries being the result of human contact. Orbitozygomatic fractures mere the most frequently observed overall (6 2%) as well as in Australian Football (58.3%). Cricket contributed to 14.6%, the ball being the agent of injury in all but one of the patien ts. Horse-riding injuries were the most severe. 89.1% of the patients required surgery and hospital stays ranged from 0 to 18 days with an a verage stay of 4.7 days. Sports activities, although a significant sou rce of enjoyment, are a significant cause of facial fractures with the ir attendant morbidity.