Use of miniplates in the treatment of jaw fractures

The use of miniplate-osteosynthesis in fracture treatment has been evaluated in 47 patients. In 25 of the patients plate fixation of the fracture was used without intermaxillary fixation and in 22 a supplementary IMF was used. Nine of the 47 patients had alcohol or drug addiction problems. The most common cause of fracture was assault and traffic accidents. The rate of complications including sensibility disturbances, occlusal disturbance and infection was evenly distributed among the two groups. The frequency of postoperative sensibility disturbances was however high, fifteen of the patients, although the sensibility returned in seven of these patients. Postoperative infections developed in five patients where the time between trauma and treatment exceeded three days. In no single case did the plate insertion make any damage to adjacent teeth.