[Transparotidean approach to surgical management of condylar neck fractures. A prospective study]

Different surgical approaches for the open treatment of mandibular condylar fractures are described in the literature. We evaluated the morbidity of the transparotidean approach in a prospective study over 5 1/2 years.

A total of 48 patients with 52 condylar neck fractures class II and IV according to the Spiessl and Schroll classification were treated by a transparotidean approach. Rigid internal fixation was performed by means of miniplate fixation. After surgery, no mandibulomaxillary fixation was performed. The occurrence of surgical and functional complications was documented both during hospitalization and 1, 3, 6 and >9 months after surgery.

In none of our patients were major problems in wound healing such as infection of the fracture site observed. At the beginning of the study, in four cases a fistula of the parotid gland was seen within the initial days after surgery; after careful wound closure of the parotid capsula in the following operations, no further complications involving fistulas were observed. Signs of temporary palsy of the facial nerve caused by the hooks occurred in ten (19.6%) of all patients but was completely reversible within the first 6 months after the procedure. One patient suffered temporarily from a minimal malocclusion and two patients from symptoms of the temporomandibular joint 6 months postoperatively. In three patients we observed miniplate fractures without consecutive dysfunction of the TMJ or malocclusion.

Open reduction and rigid internal fixation of condylar neck fractures by transparotidean approach is a recommendable procedure in class II and IV fractures. With the advantages of minimal tissue alteration and rare complications on the one hand and sufficient exposure of the fracture site on the other hand, this technique has been established as a standard procedure in treating condylar neck fractures by open reduction.