Oral and maxillofacial injuries in civilians during training at military garrisons: prevalence and causes.

OBJECTIVES

The prevalence of physical injuries sustained in civilian recruits at military training garrisons is significant. Civilian recruits sustain injuries mostly during the intensive and rigorous military combat-training period. We sought to determine the prevalence and causes of oral and maxillofacial injury as the first step in reducing and preventing them in our population of recruits (men aged ≥18 years) called to serve the 2-year mandatory military service.

STUDY DESIGN

In this 2-year study, we referred to 3 major military training garrisons in 3 provinces and collected data from available medical records of military clinics at each garrison. Injuries occurring during the intense 2-month military combat-training period were documented. Data regarding the number of civilian trainees, percentage of those injured, site where the injury was sustained, type of injury and causes, etc. as well as demographic data were collected relevant to civilian recruits called to service.

RESULTS

The number of civilians called to military service was 36,000 (18,000/y). The ratio of those injured was 1,228/36,000. The percentage of maxillofacial injuries was 23.6% (290/1,228). The majority of maxillofacial injuries occurred at the military camps (67%) and were due to nonmilitary (71%) rather than military (29%) causes. From among the military causes, bullets (70%) were the most common cause of injury, and falls (84%) were the major cause of nonmilitary injuries. Mountainous terrain was the main cause of falls (59%). The most common military incidents which led to injury related to artillery fire and explosions (52%). Nasal bone fracture was the most common maxillofacial fracture (51%), and lacerations were the most common soft tissue injury (76%). Among dental injuries, tooth fracture was the most common (73%).

CONCLUSIONS

The large number of general and maxillofacial injuries in civilian recruits during the 2-month combat-training period at military garrisons is disconcerting. This issue warrants further research to implement methods for identifying, decreasing, and preventing injuries in civilians at military-training garrisons.