TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Incidence, Etiology, Demographics, and Treatment of Craniomaxillofacial Trauma
AU - Lorenz, F. Jeffrey
AU - Rothka, Andrew J.
AU - Schopper, Heather K.
AU - Lighthall, Jessyka G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - Objective: To compare the incidence, etiology, demographics, and treatment of craniomaxillofacial (CMF) trauma before, during, and after COVID-19. Study Design: Retrospective cohort. Setting: Eighty-three health care organizations across the United States. Methods: The TriNetX Research Network identified 77,977,880 patients during 2017 to 2022. CMF fractures and soft tissue injuries during March to August of each year, aligning with the 2020 pandemic lockdown, were analyzed. Results: In 2020, compared to immediately prepandemic in 2019, there were significant reductions of −17.5% in facial fractures and −19.0% in soft tissue injuries (P <.001). Conversely, in 2021, both injury types increased by +16.7% and +16.3%, respectively, compared to 2020 (P <.001). Changes in injury mechanisms in 2020 included significant decreases in athletic injuries (−57.6%), falls (−16.8%), assaults (−15.5%), motor vehicle collisions (−8.7%), and pedestrian accidents (−6.9%) (P <.01), while off-road vehicle (+48.4%), bicycle (+16.2%), and motorcycle (+8.9%) accidents increased (P <.01). The 10- to 14- and 5- to 9-year-old age groups experienced the most substantial reductions in facial fractures (−39.7% and −29.9%, respectively) and soft tissue injuries (−29.2% and −28.3%, respectively) in 2020 compared to 2019 (P <.001). Operative management of fractures and soft tissue injuries dropped by −20.3% and −12.4%, respectively, in 2020 versus 2019, and then rebounded with +15.8% and +14.6% increases in 2021 compared to 2020 (P <.001). In 2022, compared to prepandemic rates of 2019, there were fewer patients with facial fractures (−2.8%), soft tissue injuries (−4.5%), and operative repairs (−6.9% for fractures, −1.2% for soft tissue injuries) (P <.03). Conclusion: CMF trauma decreased in 2020, with subsequent years showing a rebound to levels slightly below those immediately prior to pandemic onset. Changes in etiology, demographics, and treatment highlight the complex dynamics of traumatic injuries during periods of societal disruption.
AB - Objective: To compare the incidence, etiology, demographics, and treatment of craniomaxillofacial (CMF) trauma before, during, and after COVID-19. Study Design: Retrospective cohort. Setting: Eighty-three health care organizations across the United States. Methods: The TriNetX Research Network identified 77,977,880 patients during 2017 to 2022. CMF fractures and soft tissue injuries during March to August of each year, aligning with the 2020 pandemic lockdown, were analyzed. Results: In 2020, compared to immediately prepandemic in 2019, there were significant reductions of −17.5% in facial fractures and −19.0% in soft tissue injuries (P <.001). Conversely, in 2021, both injury types increased by +16.7% and +16.3%, respectively, compared to 2020 (P <.001). Changes in injury mechanisms in 2020 included significant decreases in athletic injuries (−57.6%), falls (−16.8%), assaults (−15.5%), motor vehicle collisions (−8.7%), and pedestrian accidents (−6.9%) (P <.01), while off-road vehicle (+48.4%), bicycle (+16.2%), and motorcycle (+8.9%) accidents increased (P <.01). The 10- to 14- and 5- to 9-year-old age groups experienced the most substantial reductions in facial fractures (−39.7% and −29.9%, respectively) and soft tissue injuries (−29.2% and −28.3%, respectively) in 2020 compared to 2019 (P <.001). Operative management of fractures and soft tissue injuries dropped by −20.3% and −12.4%, respectively, in 2020 versus 2019, and then rebounded with +15.8% and +14.6% increases in 2021 compared to 2020 (P <.001). In 2022, compared to prepandemic rates of 2019, there were fewer patients with facial fractures (−2.8%), soft tissue injuries (−4.5%), and operative repairs (−6.9% for fractures, −1.2% for soft tissue injuries) (P <.03). Conclusion: CMF trauma decreased in 2020, with subsequent years showing a rebound to levels slightly below those immediately prior to pandemic onset. Changes in etiology, demographics, and treatment highlight the complex dynamics of traumatic injuries during periods of societal disruption.
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U2 - 10.1002/ohn.981
DO - 10.1002/ohn.981
M3 - Article
C2 - 39353156
AN - SCOPUS:85205353081
SN - 0194-5998
VL - 172
SP - 444
EP - 456
JO - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
JF - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
IS - 2
ER -