Effects of complete separation of condyle on the facial growth of growing rats.

Normal mastication needs condylar support. Mandibular condyle is thought to be one of the factors which control facial growth. To determine which parts of the face are affected by unilateral complete condylotomy including surrounding connected soft tissues, thirty-nine male Wistar rats, 5 weeks of age, were divided into control, sham treated and experimental groups. The control animals received no treatment, where as the left mandibular condyles of the experimental animals were condylotomized. Soft X-rays of the animals of both groups were taken every two weeks, and all were killed six weeks after treatment. Roentgenografically, it was observed in the experimental animals that a functional condyle-like process generated to fill the condylar space of glenoid fossa. This process was smaller than normal condyle of the control anomals. Furthermore, ANOVA revealed significant differences (P less than 0.01) in some facial structures including facial height as well as mandibular length, which were still affected at six weeks after the surgery. The result of the present investigation suggests that unilateral condylotomy induced the production of a functional condyle-like process and caused some facial deformities.