Prevalence of condylar fractures in patients referred to oral and maxillofacial department at Dr. Shariati Hospital of Tehran from 1994-2004

This is an epidemiological study of patterns of condylar fractures. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and etiology of condylar fractures. Methods & Materials: In this retrospective study, data were obtained by means of special questionnaire regarding age, gender, anatomic site, pattern, causes of injury, treatment modalities and complications. During an 11 years period (1994-2004) 475 patients represented 134 condylar fractures (28.2%) admitted to Dr. Shariati Hospital of Tehran – Iran. Of the 134 patients, 105 (78%) were men and 29 (22%) were women (ratio 3.6:1). Patient's age at the time of injury ranged from 2 to 75 years, with a mean age 24.7 years. The highest incidence was seen in the third decade of life (27.6%). The predominant causative factors in this study was motor vehicle accident (42%) followed by falls and assaults. Most patients (88.8%) were treated by close reduction surgery. The seasonal distribution showed that summer accounted a highest percentage (31%) of all fractures. The condylar fractures included 28.2 percentages of all mandibular fractures in this study. The most common part of condylar fractures was subcondylar site (76.1%). The most common causes were traffic accidents (42.2%). The most common treatment method was close reduction (88.2%). The most common fixation method was maxillomandibular fixation (MMF). Fracture rate in men was more than women (78.4% Vs. 21.6%). The most important associated complications with condylar fractures was ankylosis (2.98%).