Finite element analysis in mandibular condylar fractures: current status, limitations, and clinical relevance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57231/j.idmfs.2026.5.2.041Keywords:
mandibular condylar process fractures, finite element analysis, biomechanics, osteosynthesis, fixation stability, stress, micromotion, clinical relevanceAbstract
Finite element analysis (FEA) has become an essential tool in the biomechanical study of mandibular condylar process fractures, enabling quantitative assessment of stresses, strains, interfragmentary micromotion, and bone-plate-screw system behavior under conditions difficult to study clinically. The most reproducible finding is that in condylar base and low-neck fractures, dual-line fixation or mechanically equivalent constructs provide superior stability and more favorable stress distribution compared to a single miniplate. In high-neck and condylar head fractures, mechanical success depends less on plate category and more on rotational control, screw number and orientation, working length, and fragment size. FEA is particularly valuable for explaining fixation mechanics, supporting preoperative construct selection, and developing patient-specific implants. However, current evidence is limited by heterogeneous boundary conditions, simplified bone models (homogeneous, isotropic, linearly elastic), predominantly static loading, and insufficient clinical validation. The method is methodologically mature but not yet fully clinically closed. Its optimal role is not as a standalone source of clinical recommendations but as an integrated component alongside experimental and clinical data - a biomechanically informed platform for morphology-driven treatment planning.
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