Limited study suggests that use of semi-rigid plates and screws reduce mandibular fracture treatment costs

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Fractures of the mandible are a common occurrence.  Two approaches to treatment of mandibular fractures are; rigid fixation using large titanium plates and bicortical screws that function in a load-bearing manner using Arbeitsge-menschaft fur Osteosynthesefragen (AO) principles or semi-rigid fixation using small titanium plates and monocortical screws that function in a load-sharing manner placed according [read the full story…]

Longer term outcomes of biodegradable plates for maxillofacial surgery

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Yesterday I looked at a systematic review of biodegradable plates for orthognathic surgery. One of the trials included in the review  (Buijs et al) had reported outcomes at 8 weeks. Recently the authors of that study have reported 2-year results (van Bakelen et al). The original aim of the study was to compare the clinical [read the full story…]

Some evidence to suggest that bioresorbable plates may be effective for orthognathic surgery

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Internal fixation for orthognathic surgery is commonly performed using titanium plates and screws although in recent years there has been an increase in the use of bioresorbable fixation systems.  However there are concerns about the stability of fixation. The aim of this review was to include all publicly available literature on the skeletal stability of [read the full story…]