Magnetic resonance imaging of the temporomandibular joint after functional treatment of bilateral condylar fractures in adults.

The position and functioning of discs in ten adult patients, whose bilateral condylar fractures were treated following a nonsurgical protocol, were investigated by means of magnetic resonance imaging. In seven temporomandibular joints (TMJs), where the condylar fragments were situated in the confines of the glenoid fossa, the discs were not displaced and were functioning normally. In 13 TMJs, where the condylar fragments were medially dislocated out of the fossa, the discs were displaced together with the condylar head but moved forward together with the condyle during mouth opening. This relationship between disc and condyle appears to play an important role in the reestablishment of function using nonsurgical treatment in patients with condylar fractures.