Passive archwires for intermaxillary fixation in surgical cases: a clinical report

In intraoperative intermaxillary fixation (IMF), bonding a minimally adapted, rectangular, stainless steel, preformed archwire directly to the teeth with a light-cured composite resin can offer many benefits to clinicians and patients. The procedure is easier and less time-consuming than conventional bracket placement, the risk of occlusal interference is reduced and the patient's comfort is increased. With the use of composite resin, the wire fits buccal tooth surfaces accurately, thus creating a completely passive anchor unit. Crimpable hooks can be easily adjusted along the archwire, thus establishing different directions of postoperative elastic traction. Furthermore, this technique eliminates soft tissue injuries and tooth root damage, which are risks associated with the use of miniscrews for IMF. In this clinical report, we describe the case of a 50-year-old man, who required a passive anchor unit to assist IMF before undergoing maxillomandibular advancement to treat severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.