Abstract
Bicycles are used relatively easily by people of all ages for a variety of purposes. In this study, we analyzed 187 cases of accidents that occurred while riding a bicycle among patients that visited our department with oral maxillofacial injuries, in order to clarify the actual situation of bicycle accidents.
The annual number of bicycle accidents has tended to increase slightly in recent years. The gender of the patients was 122 males and 65 females, about twice as many males as females. The age of injury ranged from 2 to 83 years old, with a large number of accidents occurring in the teens for both sexes. The most common time of day for accidents was in the evening （45 cases, 24.1％）, followed by early morning （32 cases, 17.1％）. The causes of injury were tumbles in 117 cases （62.6％）, collisions in 67 cases （35.8％）, and falls in 3 cases （1.6％）. The most common oral and maxillofacial injuries were soft tissue plus tooth injuries in 74 cases. Maxillofacial fractures were observed in 63 cases （33.7％）. The most common fracture site was the mandible alone in 27 cases, midface bone alone in 25 cases, and mandible ＋ midface bone in 11 cases. Concomitant damage was observed in 55 cases （29.4％）, with head injuries in 25 cases being the most common, followed by trunk injuries in 19 cases and limb injuries in 17 cases.
The present study found that bicycle accidents are increasingly slightly. The age distribution was markedly higher among those in their teens, which was thought to be a characteristic of bicycle accidents. Maxillofacial fractures were found in 33.7％, comorbid injuries were found in 29.4％, and serious injuries were also observed. Maxillofacial fractures were observed in 33.7％ of the cases, and concomitant damage was observed in 29.4％ of the cases, and serious injuries were also observed. Head injuries were the most common complication, suggesting the necessity of raising awareness of wearing helmets for safety.
