Sports-Related Oral and Maxillofacial Injuries: A 5-Year Retrospective Study, Pusan National University Dental Hospital.

Purpose: The incidence of sports trauma is gradually increasing, and its importance is therefore also increasing. The present study was conducted to analyze the types, proportions, and tendencies of sports trauma associated with the oral and maxillofacial regions.

Patients And Methods: Patients who visited the Emergency Department of Pusan National University Dental Hospital between 2014 and 2018 for more than 5 years were surveyed through retrospective epidemiologic investigations. Type of sports was classified according to American Academy of Pediatrics classification. For statistical analysis, age and gender distribution, cause of trauma, and annual trends data were collected.

Results: Of the 517 patients, most of the patients were teenagers (27.9%), followed by those younger than 10 years (23.2%) (χ = 22.897; P = .002), and noncontact sports, which is cycling, was the most common (43.5%) cause for trauma in both adult and children groups (χ = 91.824; P < .001). The most common sports associated with contact sports, limited-contact sports, and noncontact sports were football (47.7%), baseball (50.0%), and cycling (74.8%), respectively. The causes for trauma injury were as follows: contact sports, other person's body (53.4%); limited-contact sports, other objects (60.9%); and noncontact sports, slip down (77.4%) (χ = 298.901; P < .001). The prevalence and incidence of sports injuries increase every year, and the proportion of injured patients in May was the highest (χ = 52.360; P = .181). The high percentage of traumatic sports demonstrated statistically significant trends (χ = 43.073; P = .002). Kickboard injuries showed a rapid increase recently (P for linear trend = .045), whereas other sports showed no significant trends.

Conclusions: Considering the increasing incidence of sports-related injuries, oral and maxillofacial surgeons should be more concerned with maxillofacial trauma during sports.