RESUMEN
There are two different treatments for condyle neck fracture. One is non-surgical treatment involving intermaxillary fixation, and the other is radical surgical treatment through various techniques, but it is difficult to discuss the relative merits. The purpose of this report is to decide whether surgical treatment is necessary, by comparing the two types of treatment. In the period between April 1981 to December 1987, we treated 136 cases of condyle neck fracture at the Second Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery School of Dentistry Aichigakuin University, and in 18 nearby hospitals. Of the 136 cases, 58 cases had fracture only at the condyle neck, while 78 cases had some concomittant fracture. As regards treatment, of the 136 cases, 49 (36%) were treated surgically, while 87 (64%) were treated non-surgically for condyle neck fracture. The surgically treated cases were divided into three groups: 24 cases were treated by pinning, 16 cases were treated by inter osseous wiring, and there were 9 other cases. In the treatment of concomittant fracture, 38 cases involved inter osseous wiring, 22 cases involved metal plate fixations, and there were 4 other cases. Non-surgical treatment accounted for 15 cases. The rate of surgical treatment for concomittant fracture was 82.1% of the cases treated. In surgically treated cases of condyle neck fracture, the mouth opening prognosis was generally poor. However, in these cases the deviation of mouth opening was generally better than in non-surgically treated cases. There were no differences in mastication, occlusion and pain in the TMJ region.