THE ASSESSMENT OF FRACTURE OF THE MANDIBULAR CONDYLE BY USE OF COMPUTERIZED-TOMOGRAPHY - INCIDENCE OF SAGITTAL SPLIT FRACTURE

A survey was carried out to clarify the incidence of sagittal splittin g fracture of the mandibular condyle using computerized tomography. Th ere were 33 patients, between 11 and 67 years of age, with displaced o r dislocated mandibular condylar process fractures (41 cases), seen at our clinic between 1986 and 1992. The incidence of no displacement wa s 4.9%; deviation and displacement, 34.1%; dislocation, 46.3%; and com plete avulsion, 4.9%. A sagittal splitting fracture of condyle occurre d with an incidence of 9.8%. Conservative treatment was effective in t he treatment of sagittal splitting fracture. Therefore, classification of fracture of mandibular condyle should include the sagittal split f racture, and investigations should include computerized tomography.