An epidemiological study of zygomatic complex and zygomatic arch fractures in a tertiary hospital- A retrospective study

Introduction: Zygomatic complex fractures remain one of the most common maxillofacial injuries. They can occur as isolated fracture or associated with other maxillofacial injuries. The aim of this descriptive, analytical study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of patients treated for zygomatic complex and zygomatic arch fractures at our institution. Patients and Method: A retrospective study involving 60 patients admitted and treated for zygomatic complex and zygomatic arch fractures at the Dept. of dentistry, Sri Manakula Vinayagar medical college and hospital, Pondicherry, India from June 2011 to June 2016 was done. The data collection protocol included: age, sex, cause of injury, anatomical site, associated maxillofacial injuries and treatment modality. Results: 91.7% were males and 8.3% females. Most patients (46.7%) were aged 21-30 years and road traffic accidents (73.3%) was the most common etiology of fracture. Left side (51.7%) was involved a little more than right side (46.3%). The most common fracture site was zygomatic buttress (70%). A total of 51.7% patients had two process fractures, 26.7% had single process fracture and 21.7% had tripod fractures. Mandible fracture (28.6%) was most common associated maxillofacial injury. Surgery was performed with a closed reduction in 13.3% and open reduction in 86.7% of patients. Conclusion: The study concludes that road traffic accidents are responsible for most zygomatic complex and zygomatic arch fractures. Male patients, aged 21 to 40 years, more often sustained fractures.