Nerve injury in fractures of the condylar neck

Although fractures of the condylar neck belong to the most frequent injuries of the jaws, and various nerves are found in close proximity to the temporomandibular joints, only little mention is made in the literature of neurological complications arising from accidents. We have therefore carried out a prospective study on nerve injuries in 237 fractures of the articular process in the period 1971-1975. We found two cases of post-traumatic Frey's syndrome, whereby the syndrome developed from a post-traumatic auriculotemporal neuralgia. We also found loss of function of auriculotemporal buccal and facial nerves, and loss of taste sensation of the tongue in another case, caused by damage to the chorda tympani. This paper discusses the formal and causal origin of the individual damages, and suggests possibilities for their management.