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To describe the epidemiology, mechanisms, treatment, and disability for facial injuries in National Basketball Association (NBA) athletes. This was a retrospective descriptive epidemiological chart review using NBA Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Responses to injuries reported in games, practices, and other activities were used for all data analysis, except for game incidence rates. Incidence rates were calculated by the game-related facial injury incidence per total athlete exposure (player-games). There were 440 facial injuries among 263 athletes during the 5 NBA seasons with an overall single-season risk of 12.6% and a game incidence of 2.4 per 1000 athlete-exposures (95% CI: 2.18–2.68). The majority of injuries were lacerations (n = 159, 36.1%), contusions (n = 99, 22.5%), or fractures (n = 67, 15.2%), with ocular (n = 163, 37.0%) being the most commonly injured location. Sixty (13.6%) injuries resulted in at least one NBA game missed (224 cumulative player-games) with ocular injuries resulting in the most cumulative games missed (n = 167, 74.6%). Nasal fractures (n = 39, 58.2%) were the most common fracture location followed by ocular fractures (n = 12, 17.9%) but were less likely to lead to games missed (median = 1, IRQ: 1–3) than ocular (median = 7, IQR: 2–10) fractures. An average of one in eight NBA players sustained a facial injury each season with ocular injuries being the most common location. While most facial injuries are minor, serious injuries, especially ocular fractures, can result in games missed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To document the incidence and pattern of cranial nerves injuries that occur in association with maxillofacial trauma for early diagnosis and management. Methods This study was done from April 2012 to April 2013 in Al-Salaam Teaching Hospital in Mosul/Iraq. We studied 367 patients presented with maxillofacial trauma. The demographic, medical information, and cause of injury are recorded for each patient. Clinical examination of the cranial nerves was done at time of admission. Plain X-ray film, CT scan, electromyography, Hess chart, and other investigations were done when clinically indicated. Results 367 patients presented with maxillofacial trauma included in this study. 57 (15.5%) patients presented with cranial nerves injuries. 47(82.45%) patients are males and 10 (17.54%) are females. The mean age of the patients is 25 years. 45 (78.94%) patients had single nerve injury. 12 (21.05%) patients presented with multiple cranial nerves injuries. The facial nerve carries the highest rate of incidence. Conclusions Cranial nerves injuries are most commonly detected in young age group male patients. High velocity missile significantly increase the chance of cranial nerves injuries. Early diagnosis of these injuries essential for better results with less morbidities and residual deformities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iraq–Iran war (1980–88) resulted in numerous maxillofacial injuries. More than 400,000 people were wounded and required specialist care. Paul Tessier, a leading French plastic surgeon and pioneering craniofacial surgeon, was involved in several missions to Iran and operated on a vast cohort of patients with complex war trauma sequelae. Our study included 322 files relating to patients with war injuries operated on by Paul Tessier in Iran from 1990 to 1993. The files were the property of the Association Française des Chirurgiens de la Face. Relevant epidemiological parameters and data on surgical indications and procedures were collected. Descriptive statistics were used in order to characterize the cohort, and a multivariate logistic model was developed in order to assess factors associated with severe eye injuries within all facial injuries. Age range at admission was 5–67 years (average: 27.15 ± 6.97). The most common trauma mechanisms were shell fragments (161 patients; 50 %) and bullets (27 patients; 8.38 %). The bone and orbital contents in the upper third of the face were affected in 124 patients (38.50%); 72 patients (22.36%) had trauma of the middle third of the face; and 86 patients (26.71%) had trauma of the lower third. A total of 175 bone grafts were harvested by Tessier: 72 (41.14%) iliac grafts and 94 (53.71%) frontal and/or parietal grafts. Tessier managed 60 orbital fractures (18.63%) and 95 patients with uni- or bilateral enucleations (29.50%). A multivariate logistic model showed that patients injured by shells were 4.04 (1.32; 17.60) more likely (p = 0.03) than patients with gunshot wounds to have had uni- or bilateral enucleation, regardless of age and gender. Tessier's files provide first-hand information on the injury patterns that resulted from a regional war in the 1980s, and on the reconstruction challenges faced by a country during its post-war recovery period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Explosions have caused a greater percentage of injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan than in any other large-scale conflict. Improvements in body armour and field medical care have improved survival and changed the injury profile of service personnel. This study''s objective was to determine the nature, body region, and severity of injuries caused by an explosion episode in male service personnel. Materials and methods: A descriptive analysis was conducted of 4623 combat explosion episodes in Iraq between March 2004 and December 2007. The Barell matrix was used to describe the nature and body regions of injuries due to a combat explosion. Results: A total of 17,637 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes were assigned to the 4623 explosion episodes, with an average of 3.8 ICD-9 codes per episode. The most frequent single injury type was a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI; 10.8%). Other frequent injuries were open wounds in the lower extremity (8.8%) and open wounds of the face (8.2%), which includes tympanic membrane rupture. The extremities were the body regions most often injured (41.3%), followed by head and neck (37.4%) and torso (8.8%). Conclusion: The results of this study support previous observations of TBI as a pre-eminent injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with mild TBI as the most common single injury in this large cohort of explosion episodes. The extremities had the highest frequency of injuries for any one body region. The majority of the explosion episodes resulted in more than one injury, and the variety of injuries across nearly every body region and injury type suggests a complex nature of explosion injuries. Understanding the constellation of injuries commonly caused by explosions will assist in the mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of the effects of these injuries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Over the past 5 years, Iraq has witnessed daily terrorist attacks mainly using improvised explosive devices. The aim of this study was to analyze the patterns of maxillofacial injuries caused by terrorist attacks in a sample of Iraqi casualties. Records from two hospitals, including 551 patients who sustained maxillofacial injuries due to terrorists attacks, were analyzed according to the patients’ age, sex, site of injury, type of injury and cause of injury. Concomitant injuries and mortality were also considered. The most common age group affected was those aged 15–29 years. Most of these injuries were caused by improvised explosive devices (71%). More than one facial zone was injured in 212 patients (38%). Isolated soft tissues injuries were detected in (54%) of victims. Pure maxillofacial injuries comprised 33%. The most common injuries associated with this type of trauma were eye injuries (29%). The mortality rate was 2% from pure maxillofacial injuries. Terrorist attacks cause unique maxillofacial injuries, which should be considered a new entity in the trauma field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Facial ballistic injuries - our experience from Afghanistan and Iraq. [Extracted from the article]