The Relation Between Morphometric Features and Susceptibility to Mandibular Angle Fractures

The study was aimed to determine possible relations between skeletal morphologic parameters to mandibular angle fractures. Retrospective study of 100 patients suffering from mandibular fractures and treated in the Rambam Health Care Campus between the years 2013 and 2017 was conducted. Predictor variable was facial skeletal morphologic features as derived from the measurements. Outcome variable was mandibular angle fractures. About 42 patients suffered from angle fractures. Gonial angle (131.3° versus 118.1°), condylar neck width (8.3 mm versus 6.8 mm sagittaly and 7.1 mm versus 5.8 mm horizontally), and wisdom tooth prevalence and impaction were positively correlated to the fracture. Ramus height (48.3 mm versus 53.4 mm) was negatively correlated to angle fractures. Many reports in the literature show positive relations between impacted 3rd molars and angle fractures, yet only sporadic reports describe relations between facial fractures and facial features. Our results showed the predictable positive relation between angle fractures and 3rd molar prevalence and impaction. Yet surprisingly, we found unequivocal significant positive correlation between angle fractures to gonial angle and condylar neck width and negative correlation to ramus height. Based on the correlation to the gonial angle and ramal height, it is concluded that enlarged anterior vertical growth is a predictor for angle fractures, as are condylar neck width, and wisdom teeth.