Trends and challenges of facial trauma presented for medico legal examination

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Maxillofacial injuries occur in a significant proportion of medico-legal cases and pose a challenge when forming a medico legal opinion at times. The penal code of Sri Lanka identifies disfiguration to the head or face as a form of grievous hurt. The study was conducted to analyze the pattern, magnitude and the medico-legal challenges of maxillofacial trauma in victims presented for medico-legal examination in a Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka. A retrospective analysis was done on maxillofacial trauma presented for medico-legal examination during a period of 2 years. Out of the 460 cases of maxillofacial trauma 370 (80%) were males while there were 90 (20%) females. 264 (57%) were due to assaults while there were 172(37 %) following road traffic accidents. Blunt soft tissue injuries were observed in a majorityi.e.: 310 (67%). Forehead was identified as the commonest area of injury 262(57%). Commonest associated injuries were found on limbs, (27%) Isolated facial injuries were observed in 176, (38%) while a majority (62 %) of them were non grievous. There were 20 (11%) isolated facial injuries in which the category of hurt was not ascertained but a remark on possible facial disfiguration was made. Facial injuries were commonly reported following assaults and a majority of them were blunt soft tissue injuries. Providing a strong medico legal opinion on the category of hurt in facial trauma is a challenge for the medical experts due to the difficulties in determining possible facial disfiguration. © 2018 South India Medico-Legal Association. All rights reserved.