eMedicine Specialties > Radiology > Musculoskeletal

Mandible, Fractures: Follow-up

Author: William C Soule, MD, Consulting Staff, Valley Radiology Medical Associates, Regional Medical Center of San Jose Office
Coauthor(s): Lee H Fisher, MD, Chief of Trauma Radiology, Department of Radiology, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Nov 20, 2007

Intervention

In patients with multiple injuries due to an automobile accident, surgeons may not give mandibular fractures the highest priority, but early detection of such fractures is important because early reduction is associated with improved outcomes. Mandibular fractures can be treated by means of open or closed reduction. CT scanning is often required to identify intact bone before fixation with hardware proceeds.

Delayed union, nonunion, and malunion are of concern in evaluating the response of mandibular fractures to treatment. Delayed union is the absence or delay of healing at the fracture plane along its normal timetable. After adequate treatment and immobilization are instituted, the fracture should resume normal healing. Nonunion is a lack of bony healing that persists without proper treatment and fixation. Subacutely, plain radiographs show no healing between bone fragments and, chronically, show rounding of the fracture segment edges. Malunion is the improper alignment of a healed fracture. However, in some cases, absolute prefracture alignment may not be necessary to restore full function. This complication may also be amenable to treatment with orthodontics.

 


More on Mandible, Fractures

Overview: Mandible, Fractures
Imaging: Mandible, Fractures
Follow-up: Mandible, Fractures
Multimedia: Mandible, Fractures
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

broken jaw, jaw fracture, mandibular fracture, condylar fracture, coronoid fracture, ramus fracture, angle fracture, parasymphyseal fracture, symphyseal fracture, alveolar fracture, intracapsular fracture, extracapsular fracture, magnification sign, triple fracture

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

William C Soule, MD, Consulting Staff, Valley Radiology Medical Associates, Regional Medical Center of San Jose Office
William C Soule, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, Radiological Society of North America, Society of Nuclear Medicine, and Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Lee H Fisher, MD, Chief of Trauma Radiology, Department of Radiology, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Giuseppe Guglielmi, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, Department of Radiology, Scientific Institute Hospital
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Bernard D Coombs, MB, ChB, PhD, Consulting Staff, Department of Specialist Rehabilitation Services, Hutt Valley District Health Board, New Zealand
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Theodore E Keats, MD, Professor, Departments of Radiology and Orthopedics, University of Virginia School of Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Robert M Krasny, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Radiology, The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute
Robert M Krasny, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Roentgen Ray Society and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Felix S Chew, MD, MBA, EdM, Professor, Department of Radiology, Vice Chairman for Radiology Informatics, Section Head of Musculoskeletal Radiology, University of Washington
Felix S Chew, MD, MBA, EdM is a member of the following medical societies: American Roentgen Ray Society, Association of University Radiologists, and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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