title: Condylar fractures during growth: follow-up of 16 patients.
abstract: Fractures of the mandibular condyle represent 20% to 35% of all mandibular fractures. There are several clinical variants of this type of fracture that give rise to different problems in relation to their classification and treatment. A sample of 16 patients (of a total of 280 patients examined and treated from 1985 through 1995) with mono- and bilateral, displaced and decomposed, condylar fractures that occurred during growth were examined by the authors, who assessed, by a 2-year follow-up, the relevant clinical, functional, and instrumental parameters. On the basis of the data gathered by this study, a plan was drawn up for treating these patients that takes into account the different situations, such as either a nonsurgical or surgical treatment (by the use of condylectomy or external rigid fixation), and points out the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cascone
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sassano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spallaccia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rivaroli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000254:growth & development*; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies