Objective To explore the effect of modified intratragal incision approach on mandibular motor function and facial aesthetic effect in patients with intracapsular condylar fracture. Methods A total of 60 patients with intracapsular condylar fracture admitted to Baise People's Hospital from June 2023 to June 2025 were selected, and they were divided into the control group and the observation group by the random number table method, with 30 patients in each group. The control group was treated with the traditional preauricular incision approach, and the observation group was treated with the modiffed intratragal incision approach. The surgical-related indicators, mandibular motor function, facial aesthetic effect and complication rate were compared between the two groups. Results The operation time and hospitalization time of the observation group were shorter than those of the control group, and the intraoperative blood loss was less than that of the control group (P<0.05). The postoperative mouth opening degree, protrusive movement distance and lateral movement distance of the observation group were better than those of the control group (P<0.05). The excellent and good rate of the observation group (96.67%) was higher than that of the control group (73.33%) (P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group (3.33%) was lower than that in the control group (23.33%) (P<0.05). Conclusion The modiffed intratragal incision approach for the treatment of intracapsular condylar fracture has the advantages of short operation time, less blood loss, and short hospitalization time. It can effectively restore mandibular function, improve facial appearance, and has fewer complications, with good therapeutic effect.