Correlation of plates' number with complications of osteosynthesis in mandibular fractures.
Mots clés
Abstrait
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess the correlation of the miniplates' number used for fixation of single-compound symphyseal and parasymphyseal fractures with the osteosynthesis complications.
METHODS
Two hundred eighty-five patients having miniplate osteosynthesis complications participated in this study. They were classified into 3 groups according to the number of miniplates used for the fixation of the fractured segments. The first group included patients having 2 miniplates, whereas the second and third groups included patients having 4 miniplates and more than 4 miniplates, respectively.
RESULTS
The main osteosynthesis complications were malocclusion (32%) infection with an extraoral fistula (21%), wound dehiscence with intraoral exposure of the miniplates (17%), and combination of these (13%). Lower lip affection and intraoral bone exposure were 11% and 6%, respectively. Malocclusion was the most common complication in each group and showed the highest rate (62%) in the first group. Infection with extraoral fistula was found in all groups, with the highest rate (27%) in the first group. Wound dehiscence with intraoral exposure of the miniplates was present in the 3 groups, and the third group had the highest rate (19%). The second and third groups had equal rates of lower lip affection, numbness or weakness, (12%) and intraoral bone exposure (7%). In addition, they had combined complications in rates of 16% and 13%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of 2 miniplates for the fixation of single-compound symphyseal and parasymphyseal fractures is quite enough to avoid osteosynthesis complications such as wound dehiscence, bone or plate exposure, and lower lip affection.
