Pediatric mandibular fractures

Despite the high level of physical activity that is common in childhood and adolescence, with a predominance of playing and sporting accidents combined with little respect for danger, facial fractures are considerably less common in this age group than in adults. With increasing age, the proportion of fractures occurring upon facial trauma increases continuously, among other things due to the growth-related elongation and thinning of the mandibular articular process and the changed proportions that come with it. Above all, the higher healing capacity, significant fewer complications, growth impulses, and the resulting high adaptive capacity clearly distinguish mandibular fracture treatment in children and adolescents from that in adults. On the other hand, the articular process, in the sense of a mandibular subunit, represents an important growth center of the vertically developing lower face, which can be disturbed in its function with possible late damage due to trauma or inadequate treatment. With the same principles of diagnostics and fracture treatment, other procedures are sometimes used in children due to anatomical, physiological and psychological aspects of mandibular fractures. Basically, the treatment is much more conservative or less invasive-on the one hand due to the accelerated healing, on the other hand to avoid late effects such as eruption disorders of the teeth or growth deficits. The aim of this article is to briefly summarize the relevant aspects and peculiarities of pediatric mandibular fracture treatment of the tooth-bearing and condylar regions.