[Functional treatment after condylar fractures with and without an activator]

A follow-up study was carried out of 21 patients aged between three and 13 years who had sustained fractures of the condylar process. The patients were divided into three groups according to the type of treatment carried out--functional orthopaedics, intermaxillary fixation with functional orthopaedics and intermaxillary fixation with exercises. The clinical results showed in all cases good, even excellent restoration of the function. Radiological examination, however, revealed that restoration of anatomical form only occurred in 20% of the patients. Since several years after the trauma the orthodontically treated group showed even a remodelling of the fractured condyles functional treatment approach is recommended.