A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing 3-Dimensional and Standard Miniplate in the Treatment of Mandibular Symphysis & Parasymphysis Fractures

Abstract

Hippocrates first described the re-approximation of fractured segments with use of circumdental wires and external bandaging. Over the years, the management of trauma has evolved from supportive bandages, splints, circumandibular wiring, extraoral pins, semirigid fixation with transosseous wiring to rigid fixation, and more lately back to semirigid fixation with miniplates (Fonseca & walker 1997) . From the time of Hippocrates, physicians have described many different techniques for treating mandibular fractures, the principle of which has always been precise anatomic reduction and fixation of the bony fragments. Treatment required the jaw to be immobilized for a prolonged period and patient to be on liquid diet. However changing society, and reluctance of many patients to wear intermaxillary fixation for prolonged period forced surgeons to look for different methods which led to development of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Even though these objectives can often be achieved by closed reduction and inter-maxillary fixation (IMF), unfavourable displaced fractures require open reduction and internal fixation.