Injuries to the jaws and TMJ

Fractures occur in the lower jaw mainly due to road traffic accidents, sport injuries, fist fights and negligence during extraction. The fractures of the lower jaw are classified on basis of the region involved. The diagnosis can be easily made by means of X-rays .The Mandible (lower jaw) is the strongest bone in the face. The tongue and numerous muscles have attachment in the lower jaw.

Upper jaw fracture

The patient suffered a fracture of his upper jaw bone (Maxilla). As in such cases, the mouth opening gets severely restricted. The fractured site was surgically exposed, the bone fragments were aligned and fixed with bone plate.

Lower jaw fracture

In cases of fractures of the mandible (lower jaw), the fractured segments of bone are stabilized and fixed with bone plates. Subsequent healing of the injury occurs.

Temporomandibular Joint fracture

Condyle fracture: The condyle is a portion of the lower jaw that forms a part of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ or jaw joint). Depending on the type of impact, the condyle may be fractured either on one side or both. The fractured fragment may simply lie in the jaw joint, just a fracture line can be seen without displacement of the broken bone. Or the broken segments may get disrupted. Treatment varies depending upon the extent of injury and resulting position of the fractured bones.