Injury or disease affecting the condyle during childhood can affect the condylar growth centre and produce changes in mandibular growth.Trauma to the condyle,infection and Still’s disease cause damage to the condyle.Infection may reach the condyle by direct spread from osteomyelitis or as a result of a suppurative arthritis.The mandible can be considered as composed of three elements,a bar of bone which stretches from the condyle to te mental eminence,the alveolar process and the muscular processes of the coronoid and angle.The condylar growth centre is responsible for the growth in length of the basic bar or arch of bone.If growth ceases the distance between the condyle and the point of the chin remains the same.As the maxilla grows downwards in relation to the joint the chin end of the bar is tilted down in to the neck.The alveolar process in the incisor region grows upwards and forwards towards the maxilla.Both the muscular processes achieve a near normal size and the coronoid is elongated and the sizeable angle accentuates the facial notch in camparison with the condyle.