Interpersonal facial trauma tends to be of lower energy than vehicular trauma, thus resulting in generally less severe injuries. Most countries outside of the US have less of a problem with civilian firearms and a correspondingly lower incidence of penetrating trauma. The etiology of these fractures is largely from trauma from interpersonal violence or motor vehicle accidents. A minority of the etiologies includes falls, industrial accidents, and sports injuries. Most trauma is blunt, but penetrating trauma is common with interpersonal violence and war injury.
Blunt trauma can injure any part of the mandible.
There is pain and tenderness about the anterior mandible, and the patient will complain of malocclusion. False motion of the mandible is usually evident. Mode of treatment will vary from patient to patient. Muscles of mastication insert into posterior portions of the mandible with a net effect of superior rotation about the axis of the temporomandibular joint. Muscles acting directly on the anterior mandible are the suprahyoid muscles of the neck, with a net effect of inferior rotation about the axis of the temporomandibular joint and scissoring motion about a vertical axis through the symphysis.