Predictors of Outcomes of Adult Mandibular Fractures: A Prospective Study.

Background: Mandibular fractures not only cause physical disfigurement and functional impairments but also significantly affect the patient’s psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Predictors are variables that may influence or explain variation in the outcome of mandibular fracture. Aim of work: To evaluate demographic, clinical, radiological, and psychosocial factors associated with early postoperative complications and postoperative depressive symptoms following surgical management of adult mandibular fractures. Methods: A prospective study evaluated patients who will undergo treatment for surgical mandibular fracture/s at Mansoura Emergency Hospital, DK, from August 2023 to July 2024. The patients were assessed by history taking, clinical picture, radiological tools, depression manifestations and surgical complications. Results: A total of 100 adult patients with mandibular fractures were included. Most of them were males (94%) with a mean age of 32 ±14.5 years. The most common cause of injury was road traffic accidents. Pain (99%), and swelling (97%) were the predominant symptoms, while tenderness was present in more than half of cases. Parasymphyseal and body regions of the mandible were the most frequently involved parts of mandible detected by x ray and CT scan. There was a decrease in depression scores from baseline to 3 months post-operative. Also, there was a notable association was observed between younger age and the presence of depression following mandibular fracture (p =0.014). The most common complication was bleeding postoperatively. Conclusion: This study gave an idea about dominant predictors associated with adult mandibular fractures and their reflection on outcome of adult mandibular fracture.