Resumen

DIAZ FERNANDEZ, José Manuel; KINDELAN LUSSON, Manuel  y  GAMEZ RODRIGUEZ, Maximiliano Freddy. Prevalence of facial fractures linked to sports practice. Rev Cubana Estomatol [online]. 2004, vol.41, n.2. ISSN 0034-7507.

A descriptive cross-sectional research study was made on 57 patients with facial fractures suffered during sporting activities. These patients had been seen by the Maxillofacial Surgery Service of "Saturnino Lara" provincial hospital in Santiago de Cuba from 1992 to 1996 and this type of lesions represented 6.2% of the fractures treated in this period of time. These lesions were more prevailing in athletes who mainly played ball sports, boxing, basketball, karate and softball. The collision with another sportsman was the most frequent injure mechanism fundamentally fight and ball sports. Dentoalveolar and zygomatic mandibular fractures were the predominant fracture patterns. Therapeutical procedures applied to these patients did not differ significantly from that followed in other types of lesions. Sports practicing interruption ranged from 9 to 15 weeks after the initial treatment. Regarding high performance athletes that get injured, it is necessary to set standards for their rehabilitation process to help in taking decisions as to their re-incorporation to sports practice and competition.

Palabras clave : ATHLETIC INJURIES; ZYGOMATIC FRACTURES; MANDIBULAR FRACTURES; EPIDEMIOLOGY, DESCRIPTIVE; CROSS SECTIONAL STUDIES.