Assessment of Knowledge about Lefort I Fracture Among Dental Students

Abstract

Fractures of the middle third of the face have increased in number over the past two decades. Trauma to the facial area results in injuries not only to dental structures but also maxillomandibular fractures. In addition, these injuries frequently occur in combination with injuries of other parts of the body. The etiology of these fractures have various causes, such as traffic accidents, falls, assaults, sports, and others. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and awareness about LeFort I fracture among undergraduate dental students. A custom made questionnaire comprising of 10 questions to assess the knowledge about LeFort I fracture was formulated and circulated among 100 undergraduate dental students. The responses were then subjected to statistical analysis. Among 100 undergraduate dental students, 52% of them were aware of the types of maxillofacial fractures, and LeFort I fracture is a maxillary fracture, 34% of them have reported that Le Fort I fracture causes disruption of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone,35% of them reported that LeFort I fracture might be associated with cerebrospinal fluid leak and 25% of them were still unaware that floating palate is the typical clinical presentation of LeFort I fracture. Also, only 30% were aware that intermaxillary fixation is the management of LeFort I fracture. The present study suggests that among undergraduate dental students, the knowledge about the clinical presentation and the management of LeFort I fracture is inadequate.