title: Spontaneous fractures of the mandible concept & treatment strategy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spontaneous fractures of the mandible dispose a surgical challenge in comparisons to fractures caused by trauma due to several complicating factors. Additionally: controversies exist concerning the terminology of the field.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective study of all patients with mandibular fractures, with exclusion of fractures of the coronoid process and the alveolar process, treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark between February 2003 and February 2013. Data collected from the medical records included sex, age, cause of fracture, site of fracture, and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 517 patients with 684 mandible fractures. Twenty-five of these were spontaneous fractures and 659 fractures were of traumatic origin. Condylar fractures rarely occur spontaneously, but constitute the majority of the traumatic fractures. Excluding these fractures from the analysis, we found a non-surgical approach in 14 of 24 (58%) of the spontaneous fractures and 110 of 376 (29%) of the traumatic fractures. This was statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a statistical significant difference in favor of non-surgical approach in spontaneous fractures and we discussed the treatment challenges of these fractures. We addressed the terminological controversies regarding pathological fractures, and suggested the term spontaneous fractures denoting a fracture occurring during normal jaw function being either pathological or non-pathological.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark, a.carlsen@rn.dk.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carlsen
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcussen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult