Treatment of mandibular condyle fractures. A 20-year review.
OBJECTIVE
The condylar fracture is among the most frequent facial fractures. Despite all the published studies, its treatment remains controversial. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the epidemiology and complications of mandibular condyle fractures managed by surgical and conservative treatments, over a period of twenty years.


METHODS
The files of 262 patients with 318 condyle fractures were included in this study. One hundred and seven patients had conservative management, and 155 had surgical management for the condylar fractures. The outcomes were assessed by reviewing the patient's clinical records.


RESULTS
The prevalence was higher in males and most patients were Caucasians in the third decade of life. The mean age was 30.17 years old. The main causes were motorcycle accidents followed by bike accidents, and the mean follow-up time was 226.5 days. The number of complications found in the two modalities of treatment was low and similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Both treatments achieved their goals. There was no statistical difference in the complication rate between the two groups.
Dental School of Araraquara, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil.|Periodontology and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Dental School of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
Marcelo S
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6142-4630
MS
Monnazzi
Diagnosis and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Dental School of Araraquara, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil.
Marisa A C
MAC
Gabrielli
Diagnosis and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Dental School of Araraquara, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil.
Mário F R
MFR
Gabrielli
Periodontology and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Dental School of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
Alexandre E
AE
Trivellato
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries; D001938:Brazil; D000072700:Conservative Treatment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000293:injuries*; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
condyle fractures; conservative management; facial trauma; mandibular fractures; surgical management