Rising incidence of fall-induced maxillofacial injuries among older adults.

Abstract

Various fall-induced injuries in older adults are a major public health problem. We aimed to assess the current trends in the fall-induced severe maxillofacial injuries among older adults in Finland, an EU country with a well-defined white population of 5.5 million. The injury trends were determined by taking into account all persons 60years of age or older who were admitted to Finnish hospitals for primary treatment of these injuries between 1999 and 2014. The number of fall-induced maxillofacial injuries among older Finnish adults doubled during the 16-year follow-up, from 434 in 1999 to 981 in 2014. The age-adjusted incidence of injury (per 100 000 persons) also showed a clear increase from 1999 to 2014: from 47.4 to 71.3 in women, and from 39.2 to 59.6 in men. In both sexes, the increase was most prominent in the oldest age group, persons aged 80years or older. The number of fall-induced severe maxillofacial injuries among older Finns rose considerably between 1999 and 2014-with a rate that could not be explained merely by demographic changes. Further studies are urgently needed to better assess the reasons for the rise and possibilities for injury prevention.