J Oral Maxillofac Surg 65:1094-1101, 2007 Craniomaxillofacial Injuries in the United Arab Emirates: A Retrospective Study Taiseer Al-Khateeb, BDS, MScD, FDSRCSEd, FFDRCSIr,* and Farzad Mohammad Abdullah, BDS, MDSc† Purpose: To analyze craniomaxillofacial injuries in selected hospitals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study of craniomaxillofacial injuries treated in 3 major hospitals in the UAE. Patient files were retrieved, reviewed, and analyzed. The main analysis outcome measures were the patients’ name, age, and gender and the injuries’ time, site, type, treatment and outcome. Results: A total of 288 patients sustained 475 craniomaxillofacial injuries; road traffic accidents caused the majority of injuries. The patients ranged in age from 2 to 82 years (mean, 27.3 years), and the male-to-female ratio was 7:1. The yearly distribution of fractures peaked during 2001, and the monthly distribution peaked in January. The greatest number (41%) of patients were UAE nationals. Most patients (70.5%) had mandibular fractures, and the most common site was the body. There were 139 patients (48.3%) with a total of 171 midface fractures (36%); the most common fracture site was the zygomatic complex (29.8%). The most common treatment for jaw fractures was plating plus intermaxillary fixation. Stable zygomatic complex fractures were closely reduced (elevated), and unstable ones were treated by internal fixation. About 25% of the cases had 1 or more postoperative complication. Conclusions: Craniomaxillofacial injuries in the UAE included in this study are somewhat similar to those reported in other countries. Differences from other countries are probably related to factors peculiar to the UAE, such as climate, social trends, and the cosmopolitan population. © 2007 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 65:1094-1101, 2007 Injuries to the craniomaxillofacial area affect a signif- icant number of trauma patients, and consequences of trauma to this region can include any combination of dental, bone, or soft tissue injury. Verification of the etiology of craniomaxillofacial fractures provides insight into the behavioral patterns of people from different countries and also can help identify ways to prevent such injuries. 1,2 Many causes of craniomaxillofacial fractures have been reported, including road traffic accidents (RTAs), assaults, sporting injuries, falls, industrial accidents, 1-3 and, in some areas of the world, attacks by animals. 4,5 These etiologic factors are influenced by such factors as geography, social trends, alcohol and drug abuse, road traffic legislations, and seasons of the year. 1,2,6 It has been shown that the etiology of craniomaxillofa- cial injuries varies from one country to another and even within the same country depending on socio- economic, cultural, and environmental factors in dif- ferent periods of the year. 1-3,6-8 The age distribution of persons sustaining crani- omaxillofacial injuries differs from one country to another. RTAs, falls, and assault are the most fre- quently reported causes of craniomaxillofacial inju- ries in children. 7,9-13 Due to the increasing active elderly population, more cranimaxillofacial injuries occur in this population than ever before. 14 Traditionally, there has been a high male-to-female ratio among craniomaxillofacial injury victims, rang- ing from 10:1 to 6.6:1. 15-17 However, the recent liter- ature shows a trend toward a more equal male-to- female ratio. 3,9 This can be attributed to a changing workforce and the fact that more women work out- doors in more high-risk occupations, thus becoming more exposed to RTA and other causes of craniomax- illofacial fractures. 3,7,18,19 *Associate Professor and Consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. †Specialist in Oral and Surgery, Ministry of Health, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Al-Khateeb: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, PO Box 3030, Jordan; e-mail: Khateeb@just.edu.jo © 2007 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 0278-2391/07/6506-0006$32.00/0 doi:10.1016/j.joms.2006.09.013 1094