Management of Adult Condylar and SubcondylarMandibular Fractures in a Level 1 Trauma Center

Payton Kotlarz1, BS; You Jeong Park2, MD; William West III2, MBE; Adam Schwartz2, MD; Devon Durham2, MPH; Rachel Su2, BA; D’Arcy J. Wainwright1, MD; Wyatt Payne1, MD; Jared S. Troy1, MD

1 Department of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; 2 University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA

The management of condylar and subcondylar fractures remains controversial due to their technically challenging accessibility and risk of complications.

Objective: To examine the outcomes of conservative management, maxillomandibular fixation (MMF), open reduction with internal fixation (ORIF), and ORIF + MMF employed in the management of adult condylar and subcondylar fractures.

Retrospective study of 234 adult patients with 271 condylar or subcondylar mandibular fractures.

Data abstracted included demographics, fracture etiology and type, mechanism of injury, type of surgical approach and intervention, treating team, and complication rate.

Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, and categorical variables were analyzed using Pearson’s χ2 test and Fisher’s exact test.

Non-surgical management remains a cornerstone of treatment, yet the nuances in outcomes between different therapeutic strategies highlights the need for a more tailored approach to care.