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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Creating Rigidly Stabilized Fractures for Assessing Intramembranous Ossification, Distraction Osteogenesis, or Healing of Critical Sized Defects
Published on: April 11, 2012
Internal distraction osteogenesis with a unidirectional device for reconstruction of mandibular segmental defects
Pilar Rubio-Bueno1, Luis Naval, Francisco Rodriguez-Campo
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital la Princesa, Autónoma University, Madrid, Spain. c_ortognatica@hotmail.com
Purpose:
To present the authors' clinical experience with unidirectional internal distraction devices to reconstruct mandibular defects.
Patients And Methods:
Five patients have been treated with mandibular distraction osteogenesis to reconstruct different acquired segmental defects. These mandibular defects (35 to 80 mm in length) were reconstructed by means of internal distraction devices with a transcutaneous activator. All the patients underwent complete resection of the affected bone and immediate placement of the distraction device on the remaining mandible.
Results:
The results' analysis was based on clinical observation, postoperative radiographs, histopathologic findings and 3-dimensional computed tomographic scans. Successful distraction osteogenesis was achieved in 3 cases. In 1 case, extensive intraoral exposure of the device was observed, resulting in a failure of the procedure. One patient died of distant metastases 4 months after the resective surgery.
Conclusion:
Because of the limited number of cases, this study is preliminary. However, considering the good experimental and clinical results, this new technique offers an alternative for patients with segmental mandibular defects in which, because of local or general reasons, a more aggressive procedure should be avoided.
