Prevalence of condylar fractures in patients who referred to oral and maxillofacial surgery department of Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, during 2005-2016

Mandibular condyle fractures are the injuries to the head and face in various accidents, especially traffic accidents, which have a significant impact on the quality of life, jaw bone function, and beauty. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of condylar fractures in patients who referred to Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, during 2005-2016.

In this cross-sectional study, all patients with a maxilla fracture who were admitted to and treated at Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan from March 2005 to March 2016, were included. The data were collected through reading medical records. The prevalence of mandibular condyle fractures, demographic factors and epidemiological characteristics of patients, and performed diagnostic and therapeutic measures were recorded. Finally, the data were entered into SPSS software and analyzed using Fisher's exact test and chi-square test.

During 2005 to 2016, a total of 908 patients with jaw fractures were admitted to and treated in the hospital, of whom 214 (23.7%) patients were with mandibular condyle fractures, 121 (56.5%) with subcondylar fractures, 42 (19.6%) with bilateral fractures, 35 (16.4%) with condylar neck fractures, and 16 (7.5%) patients with condylar head fractures. Besides, the most common cause of fractures was traffic accidents with a frequency of 53.7%. The frequency distribution of dental involvement was significantly different in terms of the cause of fracture (P < 0.050); however, no significant difference was found in terms of the fracture site (P = 0.070).

According to the results of the present study, the prevalence of mandibular condyle fractures was more than 20%, which was associated with dental involvement in some patients. In addition, dental involvement had a significant relationship with the cause of fracture. Considering the effect of mandibular condyle fractures on the patients' quality of life, it is necessary to raise the level of public awareness about the causes and factors affecting maxilla fractures, especially condylar fractures, pay careful attention to initial examinations of traumatic patients, and do essential therapeutic measures for these patients.