[Conservative therapy of mandibular fractures in children with operatively secured splints]

In the treatment of mandibular fractures in children offering no adequate possibility for attaching splints to the teeth, we use prosthetic splints fixed with four circumferential wires. This monomaxillary fixation is sufficient to stabilize fractures of the mandibular anterior segment. Fractures situated distal to the canines require additional intermaxillary fixation, i.e. zygomaticomaxillary suspension of the mandible. When functional therapy is needed at the same time, we use an activator instead of the prosthetic splint. 59 patients treated in this way were reevaluated within a period of 10 years. The results of this reevaluation are reported.