An Exploratory Study on Injury Patterns and Clinical Characteristics of Sports-Related Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Sports-related oral and maxillofacial trauma exhibits distinct injury mechanisms depending on the type of sport; however, comprehensive analyses integrating these characteristics remain limited. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical features of sports-related oral and maxillofacial trauma. This single-center retrospective study included 1615 patients (mean age 41.04 years; 64.8% male) treated between 2012 and 2025 in Shimane University Hospital, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Maxillofacial Trauma Center, Shimane, Japan. Among them, 239 (14.8%) had sports-related injuries and were significantly younger and more frequently male (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that nasal bone (odds ratio [OR] 5.900, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.309–10.521), orbital wall (OR: 8.044, 95% CI: 4.664–13.874), zygomatic and zygomatic arch (OR: 3.239, 95% CI: 1.455–7.213), and naso-orbito-ethmoidal fractures (OR: 6.507, 95% CI: 1.971–21.483), as well as contusions (OR: 2.601, 95% CI: 1.385–4.885), were positively associated, whereas mucosal lacerations (OR: 0.485, 95% CI: 0.290–0.811) and referral from dental/medical clinics (OR: 0.312, 95% CI: 0.178–0.546) were negatively associated (all p < 0.01). However, panfacial fractures occurred less frequently. Sports-related trauma was primarily associated with nasal, orbital wall, zygoma and zygomatic arch, and naso-orbito-ethmoidal fractures. These findings indicate that sports-related oral and maxillofacial trauma is characterized by distinct and predominantly midfacial fracture patterns.