[Post-fracture osteitis of the mandible and gentamicin acrylic cement pellets (author's transl)]

The authors propose a method for osteosynthesis of mandibular fractures in a stable and even solid manner, to avoid the inconveniences of mandibulomaxillary fixation. These include: -- the duration of the operative period, -- the necessary close supervision to avoid secondary displacement, -- desmodontous lesions, -- the adverse effects on mouth hygiene, -- the nutritional disturbances with subsequent loss of weight. There is also the ever-present risk of infection, particularly in the dentulous zone where a fracture line crossing a dental alveolus is permanently exposed to the risk of infection from the buccal flora. Three cases are described in which gentamicin acrylic cement pellets were employed to treat bone infections after osteosynthesis of mandibular fractures, with subsequent healing of the septic foci.