title: Observational Study of Surgical Treatment of Sagittal Fractures of Mandibular Condyle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to investigate the complications that occur after surgical treatment of sagittal fracture of the mandibular condyle (SFMC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted on patients in whom SFMC was treated using surgical methods (87 patients, 105 sides) between January 1995 and December 2011 (79 sides were treated by rigid internal fixation and the remaining 26 sides were removed the condylar fragments). The longest follow-up was 17 years, and the shortest was 2 years. Follow-ups were conducted to assess mandibular activity, mouth opening, and computed tomography scans of condylar morphologic alterations. The postoperative complications were evaluated and the causes were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed 3 patients with joint ankylosis (all of them were removed the condylar fragments); 8, mouth opening less than 30 mm; 23, deviation on mouth opening at 6 months. At 4 weeks, 19 patients had facial nerve weakness, which was resolved within 6 months. The radiological investigation showed complete remodeling in 56.2% of the condyles (in the 59 sides, 57 sides were treated by rigid internal fixation and 2 sides were removed the condylar fragments); partial remodeling 27.6% condyles (in the 29 sides, 20 sides were treated by rigid internal fixation and 9 sides were removed the condylar fragments); poor remodeling, 16.2% condyles (in the 17 sides, 2 sides were treated by rigid internal fixation and 15 sides were removed the condylar fragments).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical treatment of SFMC is not perfect. There were some complications that occurred after the surgical treatment of SFMC. The findings also indicate that condylar anatomic reduction is the basis for functional recovery and, therefore, rigid fixation should be implemented. Furthermore, the removal of condylar fragments should be performed with caution, and if used, the fragments should be removed entirely.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Stomatology, 451th Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Xi'an †Department of Somatology, General Hospital of the PLA, Beijing ‡Department of Stomatology, Ankang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ankang, Shaanxi §Department of Pathogenic Biology of Medical College of Yanan University, ShanXi ||State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology, Department of Oral Surgery, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Kui
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cai-Xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hongzhi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Kai-Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult