[The development of modern osteosynthesis]

Within the last 30 years, rigid fixation has revolutionized a wide range of treatment procedures in cranio-maxillofacial surgery. Rigid fixation allows for a three-dimensional reconstruction of the facial skeleton. In fracture treatment and following osteotomies in orthognathic surgery, any postoperative maxillo-mandibular fixation by dental arch bars can be avoided. Rigid plate and screw fixation began in 1886 when the Hamburg surgeon Carl Hansmann presented his experiences with the plate and screw system, which he had developed. Besides fractures of the extremities, Hansmann also reported about two cases of mandible fractures he had treated. Thus, Hansmann is the first representative of rigid plate fixation in maxillofacial surgery. Because of the high rate of complications, plate and screw osteosynthesis was not generally accepted for a long time. This changed when the Belgian surgeon Robert Danis in 1949 introduced the principle of axial compression of the fracture ends. His idea of axial compression was picked up by the ASIF Swiss research group and was further developed for clinical application in trauma surgery of the long bones in the early 1960s. Because of anatomical reasons, appliances used by the ASIF in the surgery of extremities could not be used in maxillofacial surgery. Therefore, in 1968, Luhr developed an automatic compression plate, which in a simple way realized the principle of axial compression. With this compression screw plate, Luhr performed, in 1967, the first compression plating in the maxillo-facial area in the world. Numerous publications by other authors about similar procedures followed. Different treatment principles using monocortical mini plates without axial compression for treatment of mandibular fractures and later also for fractures of the midface were introduced, namely, by Michelet and also by Champy. Based on the experiences of fracture treatment by plate and screw fixation, various systems for mandibular reconstruction following tumor resection or defect fractures were developed. With these reconstruction plates, a rigid alloplastic bridging of defects could be performed as well as rigid fixation of bone grafts using axial compression. The main advantage of these procedures was the avoidance of any postoperative MMF. Rigid fixation has also revolutionized orthognathic surgery. The avoidance of any MMF following osteotomies of the facial skeleton was the main advantage. The introduction of implant materials, which are highly resistant to corrosion (vitallium, titanium), and the development of plating systems of adequate dimensions for use within different areas of the complex facial skeleton has led to a high degree of perfection of rigid fixation in cranio-maxillofacial surgery.