title: Chip fractures of the mandibular condyle.
abstract: Four patients suffered from trauma of the temporomandibular (TM) joints. They were examined by routine x-ray procedures. The x-ray films failed to demonstrate a chip fracture of the head of the mandibular condyle. A coronal computed tomographic (CT) view established the fracture shortly after the trauma in three patients. These patients improved clinically after physiotherapy. The fourth patient was retrospectively diagnosed as having a chip fracture of the mandibular head. She underwent CT scan 10 months posttrauma , and ankylosis of the TM joint was established. The mechanism and the clinical symptoms of this injury, which have not been previously described, are reported in this article.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed