Page 159 - Open versus closed Mandibular condyle fractures

The data show that 90.5% of patients in our study population were pain-free, which is comparable with earlier findings in the general population without trauma.20,36 A systematic review showed prevalence rates of 6%–12.9% for myofascial pain, 8.9% - 15.8% for intra-articular joint disorders, and 2.6% for arthralgia diagnoses,41 indicating that the findings of our cross-sectional study with regard to prevalence are similar to those in the general population. The importance of psychosocial symptoms in patients with temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) has been mentioned in studies that have shown an association between the pain of TMD and disorders such as depression, somatization, and anxiety.42,43 In our study, there was no difference in the frequency of Axis II symptoms between the open and closed treatment groups.
As described in Chapter 4.2, after 1 year of treatment, masticatory capacity and mandibular function as determined by the mixing ability test were comparable with levels in the normal population, independent of the chosen treatment. Male patients with satisfactory self-perceived occlusion and no other fractures, as well as those who received physiotherapy demonstrated the best masticatory performance. Patient gender, self-perceived occlusion, and the presence of other fractures appeared to be important in determining the ability to masticate, so extra attention should be devoted to these patients when evaluating the outcome of clinical treatment.
In Chapter 4.3, 3D analysis showed a significant amount of resorption after trauma in both affected and non-affected condyles. However, there was no significant difference in condylar volume between the open and closed treatment methods.
A larger condylar volume was associated with better chewing ability and patient 5 gender and MMO influenced post-treatment condylar volumes. Unfortunately,
no further insight could be gained into morphology, joint space, or angulation/ shortening because of the small sample size and various aspects of the study
design.
General Discussion and Future Prospects
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