Aggression Using a Knife or Other Sharp Instruments and Oral-Maxillofacial Trauma: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Epidemiologic Trends.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to characterize the profile of victims of interpersonal physical violence (IPV) caused by a knife or other sharp instrument, identify the factors associated with maxillofacial trauma, and examine the incidence of maxillofacial trauma over time.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, we evaluated 569 medicolegal and social records of IPV victims by knife or other sharp instruments treated at a forensic medicine and dentistry center in Brazil during a 4-year consecutive period. The variables investigated were related to the sociodemographic characteristics of the victims, circumstances of the aggression, and trauma patterns. Descriptive and multivariate statistics through Poisson regression and trend analysis with the creation of polynomial regression models were used.

RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of oral-maxillofacial trauma was 19.3%. The mean age of the victims was 31.29 ± 13.82 years. Cases of trauma affecting more than one region of the face prevailed (45.5%). Based on the final Poisson regression model, unemployed people were more likely to exhibit maxillofacial trauma (relative risk [RR] 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-3.35; P = .039). In addition, individuals were more likely to experience maxillofacial trauma on Wednesdays (RR 1.85; 95% CI 1.01-3.37; P = .045). The trend analysis revealed a significant increase in oral-maxillofacial injuries over time (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of oral-maxillofacial trauma was high, and the main factors associated with trauma were the victim's employment status and day of occurrence. Future studies will focus on assessing the effect of maxillofacial trauma on the quality of life and well-being of violence victims.