Treatment of Intra-articular Fractures of the Mandibular Condyle

Intra-articular fractures of the mandibular condyle ((IAFC) are usually treated by means of physical therapy with or without transient maxillo-mandibular fixation (conservative or closed treatment). However, this can lead to incomplete manducatory function recovery due to limited mandibular mobility. During the last 15 years, a growing interest has emerged for open (surgical) treatment of these fractures. Although there is more and more evidence suggesting that the open treatment may be the treatment of choice for selected cases of subcondylar fractures, the best option remains controversial for high condylar fractures. The primary objective of the trial is to compare mandibular mobility at 3 months post-treatment between open (surgical) and closed (conservative) treatment of intra-articular fracture (high fracture) of the mandibular condyle. This study is an open multicenter randomized controlled trial with 2 parallel arms. Eligible patients will be randomized 1 :1 between open and closed-treatment group.