Trends in Maxillomandibular Fixation Technique at a Single Academic Institution

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Restoring premorbid occlusion is crucial in treating mandibular fractures.
• Maxillomandibular fixation (MMF) is essential for stabilizing occlusion during mandibular fracture repair.
• Various MMF techniques exist, necessitating an examination of institutional trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in maxillomandibular fixation (MMF) techniques used for mandibular fracture repair at a specific institution.
• To compare the efficacy and complication rates of different MMF techniques.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing surgical treatment for mandibular fractures from January 1, 2011, to March 31, 2021.
• Data collected included fracture characteristics, injury mechanism, patient demographics, complication rates, and MMF technique employed.

Main Results:

• 163 patients underwent MMF, with assault being the most common cause of fracture (34%).
• A trend towards increased use of rapid MMF techniques over traditional Erich arch bars was observed.
• No significant differences in fracture reduction or complication rates were found between rapid and traditional MMF techniques.

Conclusions:

• The institution shows a shift towards favoring rapid MMF techniques for intraoperative occlusion establishment.
• Rapid MMF techniques offer comparable outcomes to traditional methods in terms of fracture reduction and complications.