Study Year of publication Study design Age of patients (years) Patients per group Fixation method Length of IMF
post treatment
Frequency of follow-up
McGoldrick et al. [8] 2019 Retrospective
case series
3 - 15 44 Conservative (32) or IMF (12) 7 - 10 days The median follow-up period was 196 days (89% completed follow-up)
Strobl et al. [9] 1999 Retrospective
case series
2.5 - 9.75 55 Conservative At 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 weeks post-traumatically and then yearly until the growth period is complete (100%)
Aksoyler et al. [10] 2021 Retrospective
case series
6 - 16 6 Elastic IMF + open reduction 10 to 14 days 12 to 18 months (100%)
Kim and Nam [11] 2015 Retrospective
case series
4 - 12 11 Percutaneous K - wire and elastic IMF.
Closed reduction using threaded Kirschner wire inserted percutaneously under C - arm fluoroscopy and the use of external rubber traction)
3 weeks and physiotherapy was initiated.
The external rubber traction and threaded Kirschner wire were removed within 3 to 4 weeks.
All patients received a liquid diet for 3 weeks and then a soft diet for at least 2 weeks
24 to 42 months (mean 29.3 months) (100%)
Choi et al. [12] 2005 Retrospective
case series
3 - 15 11 Conservative 1 to 6 years (mean 3.27 years) (100%)
Yadav et al. [13] 2021 Retrospective
case series
≤ 12 41 Conservative (28), IMF (5), ORIF + IMF (8) 1 - 2 weeks 1 year (100%)
Li et al. [14] 2021 Retrospective cohort < 12 84 ORIF or IMF alone 4 - 6 weeks 1, 3, and 6 months (clinical and CT assessment) (100%)
Vesnaver et al. [15] 2020 Retrospective
case series
1.5 - 14 7 ORIF (6) or conservative (1 - no fixation was performed because the greenstick fracture was completely stable after open reduction) IMF was never used 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, and then yearly thereafter.
Completed follow-up ranged from 15 months to 6 years after surgery (100%)
Cooney et al. [16] 2020 Retrospective
case series
2 - 15 49 Conservative or MMF Unspecified ('short period') The median follow-up time was 12 weeks (range 1 to 133 weeks) (88%)
Liu et al. [17] 2014 Retrospective
case series
4 - 8 30 Occlusal splints Occlusal splint worn for 3 to 6 months 1 to 6 years (mean 3.5) (100%)
Wu et al. [18] 2012 Retrospective
case series
3.5 - 11 13 IMF + occlusal splints After 4 weeks, the screws and occlusal splint were removed 3, 6, 12, 24 months, and more (mean period of 28.6 months) (100%)
Theologie - Lygidakis et al. [19] 2016 Retrospective cohorta 2 - 16 84 Conservative (22), IMF (39), IMF and occlusal splint (19) and ORIF (4) IMF for 1 week in children up to 10 years of age and for a maximum of 2 weeks in older children Initially, every 15 days for 2 months, every month for 4 months, and every 3 months afterward for 6 to 12 months.
Then late follow-up for 14 months to 11 years post op. 46.57% attended with a mean follow-up period of 4.4 years. The mean age of patients at follow-up was 14.1 years
Zhang et al. [20] 2021 Retrospective
case series
4 - 16 9 ORIF (9) No IMF. Soft diet for > 1 month and functional jaw exercises daily > 5 years with mean follow-up time 69.3 months (100%)
Hovinga et al. [21] 1999 Retrospective
case series
3 - 16 25 IMF (5) or conservative (20, of which 4 required subsequent corrective orthodontics).
In 4 patients, subsequent orthodontic treatment was required
2 weeks > 5 years (100%).
Max follow-up 24.5 years postoperatively
Zhao et al. [22] 2014 Retrospective
case series
3 - 16 40 Occlusal splints Removable occlusal splint worn for 1 to 3 months, accompanied by functional exercises 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment, and then once a year (100%).
Range: 14 months to 4 years post splint removal
Güven and Keskin [24] 2001 Retrospective
case series
4 - 11 8 IMF with custom made archbars 12 - 17 days IMF 3 to 6 years. Mean follow-up was 4.7 years.
(100%)
Schiel et al. [25] 2013 Retrospective
case series
7 - 15 6 ORIF (5 endoscopic transoral, 1 preauricular access) - Follow-up computed tomograms were obtained 6 and 18 months postoperatively. 100% completed follow-up of 18 to 35 months (median, 24.5 months)
Thorén et al. [26] 2001 Retrospective
case series
3.1 - 15.6 26 Conservative (11) or IMF (7) IMF for 10 to 24 days (mean, 17 days) 4.8 to 16.4 years (mean, 8.6 years).
18 patients (69%) completed follow-up
Landes et al. [27] 2008 Retrospective cohort < 14 24 Conservative (13) or ORIF (11) 2 weeks IMF with 4 IMF screws and 1.5 mm elastics.
Patients requiring conservative treatment younger than 12 years had guided occlusion by a removable orthodontic appliance for an average of 3 months to spare the tooth buds a traumatization by set screw insertion
Follow-up was intended at 12, 24, and 60 months.
19 (79%) patients presented for follow-up immediately. After 1 year, 11 patients (58%) presented for follow-up; after 2 years, 4 (21%) patients, and after 5 years, 4 (21%) patients presented for follow-up

aHowever, not really a comparative and more of a large case series as late follow-up excludes those condyle fractures requiring surgery, so only records for non-surgical management..
IMF = intermaxillary fixation; ORIF = open reduction internal fixation; CT = computed tomography; MMF = maxillomandibular fixation.