Prevalence of angle and condyle fractures according to the presence or absence of the mandibular third molar in patients with surgically treated mandible fractures.

Darwin has a very high volume of facial trauma in a largely decentralized population, providing a unique opportunity to assess mandible fracture patterns. The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of the mandibular third molar is associated with angle fractures, and whether the absence of the third molar is associated with condyle fractures. A retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital, Australia for open reduction and internal fixation of the mandible between January 2020 and March 2024 was performed. Patients were classified by the presence/absence of the mandibular third molars and the type of mandibular fracture. The third molars were classified according to the Pell and Gregory, and Winter classifications. 475 patients suffered 792 fractures; 289 were angle fractures and 127 were condyle fractures. Angle fractures were significantly associated with the presence of mandibular third molars (odds ratio 3.31, P < 0.001), while no significance was found between the absence of third molars and condyle fractures (P = 0.076). In this study, patients with mandibular third molars were observed to have an increased risk of angle fracture, while there was no increased risk of condyle fracture in those without the third molar.