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All articles / Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Mandibular Fractures

Mandibular fractures are common in trauma and require thorough imaging diagnostics. Treatment, either closed or surgical, is tailored to the injury's extent and the patient's condition. Postoperative follow-up and rehabilitation are crucial for healing and function.

Author: Payam Farzad • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon • PhD • Department of Craniofacial Diseases • Stockholm
Reviewed by: Robert Heymann • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon • PhD • Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery • Karolinska University Hospital • Stockholm
5 min read
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    This article is based on an original article in Swedish which can be found here

    BACKGROUND

    The mandible is a cosmetically and functionally important structure in the facial skeleton. The mandible forms part of the framework of the face and also acts as a shock absorber for impacts to the head region. The chin is a prominent point, and fractures of the mandible are common in traffic accidents, assaults, falls, and sports injuries. The most common types of fractures are condylar neck/head fractures and angle fractures. It is not uncommon to see a combination of different mandibular fractures, or combined with fractures in the midface. Predilection sites are muscle attachments and areas where tooth roots create weakening zones.

    Mandibular fractures are classified according to their location:

    • Condylar head/neck fractures
    • Ramus fractures
    • Coronoid process fractures
    • Angle fractures
    • Body fractures
    • Parasymphyseal fractures
    • Symphyseal fractures
    • Alveolar process fractures

    This article discusses all types of mandibular fractures excluding condylar head/neck fractures.
    For these, see separate article: Mandibular Condyle fractures

    Epidemiology

    Diagram of the mandible with percentage distribution of fracture areas

    Mandibular fractures are significantly more common among men (77%) compared to women (23%). Furthermore, mandibular fractures account for over 80% of all jaw fractures. Assault (40%) is by far the most common cause of mandibular fractures, closely followed by traffic accidents (29%) and falls (21%). Sports and work-related causes account for over 8% of mandibular fractures. Gunshot injuries constitute a small portion of mandibular fractures in Sweden. The distribution of mandibular fractures is shown in the image below, indicating that condylar and angle fractures are overrepresented.

    Diagnosis/Classification

    Table of contents