Comparison of fixation methods in treating mandibular fractures: scintigraphic evaluation

The effects of rigid and nonrigid fixation methods in the treatment of long bones have been studied by many authors. A comparison of these two methods has been undertaken on long bones and documented in previous studies. However, there appears to be no such research on facial bone fractures. In this study a mandibular model was selected as an appropriate model for fracture site mobility in the face. Twenty-three patients with mandibular fractures were admitted to the study. Two groups were formed. The first group consisted of intermaxillary fixation patients and the second group was comprised of internal rigid fixation-treated patients. The callus deposit was evaluated by the technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate scintigraphic method on days 1, 10, 20, 30, and 40 postoperatively. The results of the study showed that the greatest level of callus formation is in the second exposure (days 1 to 10) for the first group and in the third exposure (days 10 to 20) for the second group. This study demonstrates that minimal motion on the fracture line after intermaxillary fixation increases local blood circulation and osteoblastic activity. The callus deposit reaches maximum in a short period of time with nonrigid fixation.