Jaw fractures in Malmö 1952-62 and 1975-85.

The aim of this study was to compare frequency, etiology and location of jaw fractures in Malmö during the periods 1952-62 and 1975-85. The following statistically differences were found. The number of patients with jaw fractures increased from 1 to 2 per 10,000 inhabitants and year. The proportion of women increased from 18% to 26%. The proportion of fractures caused by violence increased from 26% to 44% while fractures caused by traffic accidents decreased from 41% to 22%. The proportion of maxillary fractures increased from 16% to 25%. The most striking findings in this study were that jaw fractures were twice as common in Malmö during the last decade as during the fifties and that violence replaced traffic accidents as the most common cause.