Endoscopic-Assisted Treatment Combined With Transoral and Transbuccal Approach to Mandibular Subcondylar Fractures

Purpose: Endoscopic treatment of maxillofacial fractures is a different way of performing open reduction and internal fixation. This report presents a case series of mandibular subcondylar fractures performed with combined endoscopic transoral and transbuccal approaches and the results. Materials and Methods: Sixteen patients with mandibular condylar fractures were preoperatively assessed for risk and underwent open reduction and internal fixation with the endoscope-assisted transoral approach. Duration of hospital stay was recorded and patients were followed for an average of 17 months for possible complications. Results: No major complications were encountered in any patient. Minimal angulation was observed in 3 patients. One patient had late complaints of temporomandibular joint pain. Conclusion: Endoscopic-assisted mandibular condylar fracture repair includes special surgical equipment and manipulation not used in classic methods. With this approach, subcondylar fractures can be more readily manipulated through a transbuccal puncture with appropriate fixation achieved.