CASE REPORTS   

Italian Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery 2011 December;22(3):181-6

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Facial asymmetry as a result of mono-condylar fractures with dislocation

Cascone P., Mustazza M. C., Moles A., Filiaci F.

Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

AIM: The consequences of fractures of the mandibular condyle can influence the middle and inferior third of the face, both on the functional aspect and on the eurhythmy of the face. The aim of this work was to attempt to locate the common physiognomic and patognomonic characteristics in patients suffering from extracapsular monocondylar fractures with dislocation, in order to define a typical face phisiognomic alteration of these patients.
METHODS: For this study a sample of nine patients suffering from monocondylar fractures with anteromedial displacement of the condyles was selected. We collected the front view photographic image of the patients before the therapeutic protocol and we chose morphologic and craniometrical points and reference lines to document the morphologic variations of the middle and inferior third of the face following the trauma.
RESULTS: On the side of the fracture, an elevation of the gonial angle and an increase in the length of the inferior part of the face counter opposite side was evident. In addition, the gonial angle seems to be moved laterally on the median axis with respect to the contralateral, simulating a flattening of the angular region of the mandible and an augmentation of trasversal diameter on the opposite side corresponding to the temporo-mandibular joint region.
CNCLUSION: The knowledge of these typical phisognomic changes can help to decide a better treatment plane and to better understand some unknown asymmetry of the face.