Condylar fracture due to sports trauma associated with a solitary bone cyst: a case report

Background: This paper presents a rare case of a 16-year-old male patient, referring pain and restricted mouth-opening following facial trauma while playing soccer. The computed tomography scan revealed hypodense lesions involving the mandibular condyle and the subcondylar region along the fracture line. Objective: The primary objective was to treat the condylar fracture, associating it to the surgical removal of the lesion and primary reconstruction with autogenous bone graft harvested from the anterior iliac crest. This study aims to determine how predictable this treatment is and while also evaluating bone remodeling. Case report: The lesion was surgically removed and part of the ascending ramus of the mandible, which includes the condyle, was replaced with a free bone graft harvested from the anterior iliac crest. Results: Analysis under the microscope confirmed the clinical hypothesis of a solitary bone cyst, as the lesion consisted of an empty cavity. A 2-year follow-up showed a satisfactory outcome, with no signs of lesion recurrence or other complaints. Conclusion: Although rarely found in the condyle, when present solitary bone cyst render patients susceptible to pathologic fractures. Requiring careful treatment planning to establish ideal rehabilitation for patients. KEYWORDS Bone grafting; Iliac crest; Mandibular condyle; Mandibular fracture; Solitary bone cyst.