[Surgical treatment of old dislocated condylar process fractures].

OBJECTIVE

To analysis the result of surgical treatment on old dislocated condylar process fractures.

METHODS

22 cases of old dislocated condylar process fractures with a duration of more than 3 weeks (average 4.6 weeks) were treated by free and reimplantation of the dislocated condylar process. The postoperative result was evaluated on the basis of occluding relation and joint function, as well as radiographic assessment of condylar changes.

RESULTS

Normal occluding relation was resumed in 19 cases after the operation. And there were 19 cases showing that the process was replaced in normal position, and homogeneous joint space and smooth cortex surface of the process were showed on pantomography also. The average mouth opening was 28.9 mm and the average mouth opening deviation was 6.3 mm before the operation reduced to 1.4 mm 6 months after the surgical treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The structure and function were recovered postoperation in 86 percent of the cases, with only slight complications in several patients. So the free and reimplantation was an effective method in treating old dislocated condylar process fractures.