Fractures of the mandible and maxilla

External fixation is an effective method for stabilization of many mandibular fractures. Thorough physical examination and patient stabilization should be instituted before attending to the fractures and associated soft tissue trauma. Normal occlusion rather than perfect reduction is the goal of oral fracture repair. Loose teeth or teeth in the fracture should be removed, as should any avascular bone fragments. Soft tissue wounds should be treated as for any contaminated wound. Mucosal wounds are allowed to heal by second intention. Although prophylactic perioperative antibiotics are indicated, they are usually not needed postoperatively. The three basic types of external fixators described include the Kirschner-Ehmer splint, pins or screws and acrylic, and the biphase splint. All three types are relatively easy to apply, and the principles of their application are similar. A minimum of two pins or screws are placed percutaneously in each fragment, avoiding the mandibular canal. The Kirschner-Ehmer splint is more easily adjustable than the biphase splint or the pin-acrylic splint, which use acrylic connecting bars. The advantages of fixators that use acrylic bars are that the pins or screws need not all be in the same plane and that they are more lightweight than the Kirschner-Ehmer splint. The disadvantages of the biphase splint are its increased expense and its use being limited to larger dogs. External fixators are well tolerated by the animals, and postoperative care is minimal. Mandibular fractures are usually healed in 3 to 5 weeks, and the fixators can be removed with the animal under sedation.