N. Worsaae et Jj. Thorn, SURGICAL VERSUS NONSURGICAL TREATMENT OF UNILATERAL DISLOCATED LOW SUBCONDYLAR FRACTURES - A CLINICAL-STUDY OF 52 CASES, Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery, 52(4), 1994, pp. 353-360
To compare open versus closed reduction of unilaterally dislocated low
subcondylar fractures in adults, 101 consecutive dentulous patients w
ere treated either by closed reduction with a median of 4 weeks of max
illomandibular fixation, or with a median of 6 weeks of maxillomandibu
lar fixation after surgical repositioning and transosseous wiring of t
he dislocated condylar fragment. No selection of patients was done for
either treatment. Fifty-two patients were seen at a median of 2 years
postoperatively. Complications such as malocclusion, mandibular asymm
etry, impaired masticatory f unction, and pain located to the affected
joint or masticatory muscles were seen significantly more frequent in
patients treated with closed reduction compared with those treated su
rgically (P = .005). Neither the degree of dislocation of the proximal
fragment, concomitant mandibular fractures, nor the absence of poster
ior occlusal support seemed to influence the results.