Key clinical message: Conservative treatment of bilateral condylar fractures, including intermaxillary fixation using arch bars and elastic bands, yields satisfactory results in pediatric patients. Therefore, the conservative approach should be considered the first line of treatment for bilateral condylar mandibular fractures in pediatric patients.
Abstract: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are considered the leading cause of mortality and morbidity of children and adults in Saudi Arabia. Head injuries and fractures are the most common form of injuries resulting from RTAs, with mandibular fractures being the most common head injury; condylar fractures are the most frequent type of mandibular fracture. A review of the literature reveals diverse opinions about the best approach for treating bilateral condylar fractures in pediatric patients. The findings of the literature review are reported in this study. The case presented here shows the result of adopting a conservative approach to treating a bilateral extracapsular displaced condylar fracture. An elastic band was fixed onto intermaxillary fixation (IMF) screws at the midline upper and lower jaws; the patient was followed up for almost 3 years. The conservative approach yielded excellent results, as both condyles were fully repositioned and healed, without causing any deviation or limitation of the mouth opening. The results of this case support considering the conservative approach as the first line of treatment for bilateral condylar mandibular fractures in pediatric patients.
Keywords: bilateral condylar fractures; case report; conservative treatment; pediatric.
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