[Long-term outcome of functional treatment for high double-sided condylar fractures]

The conservative procedures widely used to treat fractures of the condylar neck seem to provide positive short-term benefits, but on long-term observation the results sometimes are not consistent with the early prognosis. We observed a patient (adult female) from the time of the accident for a period of 7 years. The patient suffered from a high double-sided fracture of the condylar neck combined with a multiple fracture in the frontal region of the mandible. The treatment plan was: 1. primary osteosynthesis of the fracture in the frontal-region, 2. intermaxillary fixation for 14 days, 3. functional post-operative treatment using monoblock. Up to the first month it looked like a normal recovery. However, after three months the expected recovery became questionable. After 7 years it was obvious that the recovery had reached its peak between 3 months and 1 year after the operation. The patient experienced chronic pain and progressive loss of function. Such results are unsatisfactory and new operative procedures using osteosynthesis have to be developed.