A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN THE IMAGINGS OF CONVENTIONAL RADIOGRAMS AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAMS IN PATIENTS WITH CONDYLAR FRACTURES

하악과두골절 환자의 일반방사선사진상과 전산화단층사진상의 비교 연구

The subjects of this study consisted of 75 patients with 83 condylar fractures, who were admitted to Chonbuk National University Hospital from Jan. 1988 to Oct. 1995. The purpose of this study was to compare the imagings of conventional radiograms with those of computed tomograms and to aid in the diagnosis of condylar fractures. Also the author evaluated the usefulness of 3-dimensional reconstructive imaging in condylar fractures. The obtained results were as follows: 1. The condylar fractures were observed mainly between 2nd and 4th decades, but there was no significant difference of incidence between decades. The incidence of condyalr fractures by fracture site was subcondyalr(44.6％), condylar head(36.1％), condylar neck(19.3％) in orders. 12 of 30 condylar head fractures were sagittal splitting fractures. 2. According to the relationship of condylar head to articular fossa, the incidence of condylar fractures was higher in Type II and Type m. And the incidence of subcondylar fractures was higher in Type I classified by Mclennan. But there was no significant difference of incidence between Types. 3. The more the fracture fragments were displaced, the easier the fracture patterns were detected in conventional radiograms. The computed tomograms were also useful in the diagnosis of sagittal splitting fractures which were displaced mesially. 4. The 3-dimensional reconstructive imaging were useful in the evaluation of the fracture patterns, but they were not useful when the size of fragment and the degree of displacement were small.