Surgical versus nonsurgical treatment of unilateral dislocated low subcondylar fractures: a clinical study of 52 cases.

To compare open versus closed reduction of unilaterally dislocated low subcondylar fractures in adults, 101 consecutive dentulous patients were treated either by closed reduction with a median of 4 weeks of maxillomandibular fixation, or with a median of 6 weeks of maxillomandibular fixation after surgical repositioning and transosseous wiring of the dislocated condylar fragment. No selection of patients was done for either treatment. Fifty-two patients were seen at a median of 2 years postoperatively. Complications such as malocclusion, mandibular asymmetry, impaired masticatory function, and pain located to the affected joint or masticatory muscles were seen significantly more frequent in patients treated with closed reduction compared with those treated surgically (P = .005). Neither the degree of dislocation of the proximal fragment, concomitant mandibular fractures, nor the absence of posterior occlusal support seemed to influence the results.