Abstract
We analyzed clinical data from 22 patients （15males, 7females; median age 39years; range 15 to 77years） treated with surgical therapy for mandibular condyle fractures in our hospital during the past 21years. The most frequent cause of injury was slips, trips and falls in 8 （36.3％） of the 22patients. Thirteen of them fractured only the condyle, and nine fractured various mandibular bones as well as the condyle. All condylar fractures were unilateral, mainly the displacement type with large deviation of bone fragments, and located between the lower neck and the base. The locations of surgical skin incisions to approach the fractures were submandibular （n＝15）, preauricular （n＝6） and submandibular combined with preauricular （n＝1）. The only adverse effect of surgery was transient slight facial palsy in 7 （31.8％） patients, which disappeared within an average of five months. The average period of post-procedural inter-maxillary fixation was 2 to 3weeks during the first 5years, and 3.3days thereafter. Fixation period did not influence occlusion and jaw movement function. No complicating malocclusion was evident at six months postoperatively, but 3 （13.6％） patients had trismus of ≤ 40mm.
Patients with large deviation of bone fragments, occlusal disruption or fractures at the lower neck or base were surgically treated, with relatively good outcomes.
