Maxillofacial fractures associated with motor vehicle accidents: A review of the current literature

Objective: The aim of this article was to review and discuss papers that were published during the past 30 years regarding the distribution and characteristics of motor vehicle accidents-related facial injuries throughout the world. Methods: We systematically reviewed all papers that were published in English between January 1980 and December 2013 using MEDLINE and the MeSH term "facial fractures" together with the term "motor vehicle". Results: The percentage of motor vehicle accidents as an etiological factor in epidemiological studies about maxillofacial injuries ranged between 11% and 85%. On the whole, a progressively decreasing trend was observed, particularly in North America, Brazil, and Europe. Discussion: Motor vehicle accidents are still one of the most important etiological factors for maxillofacial injuries. A great difference in the incidence of this kind of fractures between developed countries and developing countries can be observed.