Intraosseous wire fixation versus rigid osseous fixation of mandibular fractures: a preliminary report

While wire osteosynthesis has been the accepted modality to use with open reduction of mandibular fractures, several authors have suggested the use of more rigid techniques to achieve the same result while also eliminating adverse effects associated with prolonged maxillomandibular fixation. Few studies have directly compared the two techniques in a prospective manner. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate complications seen with wire osteosynthesis versus a small bone plating system in management of mandibular fractures. The results suggest that small bone plating systems similar to the one used in this study may serve as a suitable alternative to wire osteosynthesis for the management of mandibular parasymphysis, body, and angle fractures. The length of the procedure, the length of hospital stay, and patient comfort were comparable with the two techniques. Factors that may contribute to failure are: location of the fracture, poor patient compliance, length of time from the trauma to the repair, antibiotic choice, and most importantly, operator skill and experience.