Management of Mandibular Fractures at a High-Volume Educational Center-A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Trauma Surgery
• Orthognathic Surgery

Background:

• Mandibular fractures require timely treatment to restore facial function and anatomy.
• Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is a common surgical approach.
• Understanding postoperative complications is crucial for optimizing patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze postoperative complications and outcomes in mandibular fracture patients over one year.
• To investigate the impact of fracture types and treatment methods on outcomes.
• To assess the influence of healthcare provider experience on patient results.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of patients (≥12 years) with mandibular fractures treated at a Level 1 trauma center.
• Data collected from medical records over a 1-year period (January-December 2022).
• Patients categorized into surgical, closed treatment, and observation groups.

Main Results:

• 141 patients with 223 mandibular fractures were included.
• 12.7% of surgically treated patients and 0.07% of those treated with arch bars required further surgery.
• Additional procedures included plate removal or orthognathic surgery for occlusal correction.

Conclusions:

• Complication rates are comparable to existing literature but may be affected by sample size, follow-up duration, and comorbidities.
• Variability in outcomes may be linked to the involvement of less experienced surgeons, particularly during on-call hours.
• Despite challenges, the majority of patients experienced favorable outcomes following mandibular fracture treatment.