2003 Volume 49 Issue 5 Pages 355-358
A statistical analysis was performed to determine factors that influence the clinical outcome of unilateral condylar fractures of the mandible. In this study, the fracture location was limited to the condylar neck and base of the condylar process. Twenty-eight patients, 18 males and 10 females, were treated at our clinic between January 1997 and December 2001. The age range was 7 to 79 years, and the average age was 32.6 years. Seventeen cases involved fractures of the condylar neck and 11 cases involved fractures of the base of the condylar process. Fifteen cases were treated conservatively by intermaxillary fixation, and 13 were treated surgically by using a titanium mini-plate or lag screw osteosynthesis system. The clinical outcome was determined according to the classification described by Kamiya 6 months after injury. The outcome was good in 21 cases, whereas 7 cases had restricted mouth-opening or joint sounds during jaw movements. This study revealed that two factors can negatively influence the clinical outcome of unilateral mandibular condylar fractures: one is the type of fracture in all cases and the other is the age of the patient at injury in cases treated conservatively.
