Temperatures in and around mandibular fractures.

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Thermography

Background:

• Understanding thermal dynamics in bone healing is crucial for surgical outcomes.
• Mandibular fractures present unique challenges due to the complex anatomy and vascularity.
• Accurate temperature measurement aids in assessing tissue viability and inflammatory responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure and compare temperatures at various points in and around mandibular fractures.
• To investigate the thermal effects of biopsy cavity creation on bone temperature.
• To determine the relationship between surface and internal bone temperatures in mandibular fractures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a calibrated thermocouple and digital thermometer for precise temperature readings.
• Measured temperatures on the bone surface margin of mandibular fractures and at distant sites.
• Recorded internal bone temperatures within fracture sites at varying depths and post-biopsy intervals.

Main Results:

• Surface temperatures at the mandibular fracture margin were approximately 1°C warmer than at 5 and 10 mm distant sites.
• Internal bone temperatures showed a reduction at 1 and 2 minutes following biopsy cavity creation.
• Confirmed that surface temperatures are lower than internal bone temperatures in the studied mandibular fractures.

Conclusions:

• Mandibular fracture sites exhibit distinct thermal profiles compared to adjacent bone.
• Surgical interventions like biopsy can transiently alter local bone temperature.
• Surface temperature measurements may not fully represent the thermal state of internal bone structures in mandibular fractures.