• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.31-39
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to reveal the factors leading to the problem of unilateral condylar fractures and suggest a treatment guideline of treatment for good prognosis in surgical treatment. The factors can be age, sex, fracture site, degree of displacement, posterior occlusion loss, post-operative alteration of condylar head position, post-operative condylar head resorption, and maxillomandibular fixation period. One hundred and eleven patients with unilateral condylar fractures, who were treated by surgical method from 1990 Feb. to 2000 Feb., were studied. Minimum follow-up period was 6 months. The results were as follows ; 1. In the age group of $41{\sim}60$, females had significantly higher complication rate than males, therefore we must be careful about treatment of female in this age group 2. In level I fractures of the mandibular condyle, because there were abundant complications when the patients were treated with fragment removal, conservative treatment is recommended over the surgical approach. 3. There were no differences in the complication rate, in the level II, III fractures. but were severe complications in the cases of patients treated by Dr.Nam's method or fragment removal. Therefore, open reduction and internal fixation is recommended over Dr.Nam's method or fragment removal. 4. In level IV fractures, open reduction and internal fixation is recommended 5. Although there was a higher complication rate depending on the degree of deviation, there was no correlation between the degree of deviation and development of complications in each level of fracture 6. Because the complication rate was higher in cases of condylar resorption, vertical dimension loss, and alteration of condylar head position, we must make an effort to prevent such complications during treatment

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.497-504
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• 2011

Purpose: Patients who had a subcondylar fracture with a displaced or deviated condylar segment were treated with a retromandibular approach (RMA) or an endoscope-assisted transoral approach (EATA) in our department of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The clinical results of the approaches were compared. A comparative study of specific approaches for subcondylar fractures has not been published before in Korea. Methods: Twenty-one patients with subcondylar fractures of the mandible were included. Ten patients were treated with the retromandibular approach and 11 were treated with an endoscope-assisted transoral approach. We examined patient age, gender, fracture sites, classifications, period of maxillomandibular fixation, facial nerve (FN) or greater auricular nerve (GAN) injuries, maximal mouth opening, deflection, occlusal changes, number of plates, follow-up period, and other complications. Preoperative computed tomography and pre-operative, post-operative, and follow-up panoramic views were taken of each patient. Results: Mean maximal mouth openings were similar between the two approaches. FN and GAN injuries were more frequent in the RMA group but the deflective rate with mouth opening was higher in the EATA than that in RMA group. Two cases of post-operative infection occurred in the EATA group, and occlusal changes were observed in one case for both approaches. Conclusion: The RMA offers more direct access and visualization of the surgical field but it can cause scars and retractive injuries of the FN and GAN. But, EATA did not result in consequent nerve injuries or scars postoperatively, but unfavorable fractures such as $medial$ $override$ condyles were more difficult to reduce endoscopically. Except cases of an expected difficult reduction, the treatment of choice for a displaced subcondylar fracture may be an EATA.