CHARACTERISTICS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC DAMAGE OF THE LOWER JAW AS A CRITERION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF REHABILITATION INTERVENTION

Abstract

Purpose is to investigate the dynamics of quality of life from the standpoint of specific dental condition and general somatic health as criteria for the effectiveness of rehabilitation intervention aimed at correcting the consequences of mandibular fractures in patients of older age groups. Methods. 42 elderly and senile people took part in the research process. Group 1 consisted of 23 individuals whose history was not burdened by a fracture of the bones of the facial skull. Group 2 included 19 people with the consequences of a fracture of the lower jaw. A program of physical therapy was developed for them, aimed at co-correction of detected violations and improvement of quality of life lasting 1 month. Active techniques included therapeutic exercises for masticatory and facial muscles, tongue, neck, and their post-isometric relaxation. Passive techniques included massage of the masticatory muscles, passive mobilization of the temporomandibular joint. Patients’ quality of life was assessed by the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index, The Short Form-36. The results. The rehabilitation program, developed from the standpoint of the age-related features of bone tissue healing and the needs of functional load, had a beneficial effect on the quality of life of the elderly and senile with the consequences of a fracture of the lower jaw, which, upon repeated examination, was manifested in the form of an improvement in the studied indicators. All GOHAI indicators of group 2 improved statistically significantly relative to the initial level (p<0.05), but only the indicator related to contacts with other people reached the parameters of the main group 1 (p>0.05). Analyzing the obtained result, it was noted that the SF-36 scale reached the level of uninjured peers (p>0.05); on all scales, except “Vitality” and “Mental health”, there was an improvement relative to the initial indicator (p<0.05). Conclusions. The developed comprehensive rehabilitation program demonstrated a statistically significant positive effect (p<0.05) on all studied indicators of quality of life compared to baseline data (although the level of quality of life associated with dental dysfunction was not reached), which confirms the need for the use of specialized restoration in patients of older age groups with injuries of the lower jaw for a long time.