Maxillofacial injuries in the pediatric patient

Approximately 22 million children are injured in the United States annually . Children are uniquely susceptible to craniofacial trauma because of their greater cranial-mass-to-body ratio. The pediatric population sustains 1% t o 14.7% of all Facial fractures. The majority of these injuries are encount ered by boys (53.7% - 80%) who are involved in motor vehicle accidents (up to 80.2%). The incidence of other systemic injury concomitant to facial tra uma is significant (10.4% - 88%). The management of the pediatric patient w ith maxillofacial injury should take into consideration the differences in anatomy and physiology between children and adults, the presence of concomi tant injury, the particular stage in growth and development (anatomic, phys iologic, and psychologic), and the specific injuries and anatomic sites tha t the injuries affect. This comprehensive review, based on the last 25 year s of the world's English-speaking surgical literature, presents current tho ughts on the anatomic and physiologic differences between adults and childr en, a synopsis of childhood growth and development, and an overview of stat e-of-the-art management of the pediatric patient who has sustained maxillof acial injury.