Long-term results of early condylar fracture correction: case report

Condylar fractures in childhood occur frequently, often with minimal pain and discomfort and therefore the diagnosis is not made at the time of injury. Management may be surgical or non-surgical. Non-surgical therapy in children is the method of choice if the condyle can translate normally. In fact, there is an excellent chance of regeneration and continued normal development after fracture in growing patients. The purpose of this article is to describe the long-term clinical and radiological evaluation of a conservatively treated unilateral condylar fracture, a result of trauma, in a 6-year-old patient. In addition, she presented a congenitally missing lower incisor ipsilateral to the fracture and a class II malocclusion. She was treated with functional jaw orthopedics using a splint and an activator and subsequent orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances [J Orofac Orthop5 (2002) 429]. The remodeling process of the condylar head and neck is clearly observed in the panoramic radiographs of the 12-year follow-up records presented.