To determine the complication rate for patients presenting with isolated mandibular angle fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation using a single superior border miniplate technique.
This is a retrospective study of consecutive patients with isolated mandibular angle fractures treated using a specific protocol at the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at JCD Dental College, Sirsa between January 2009 to July 2010. In total, 15 patients with 17 mandibular angle fractures were included in the study. All patients were evaluated for soft and hard tissue infections, malunion, nonunion, dehiscence, damage to teeth and adjacent structures, malocclusion, and new onset neurosensory disturbances.
A total of 15 patients (13 males and 2 females) were included in the study. A total of 2 complications occurred presenting 13.33% complication rate. Minor occlusal discrepancies were recorded in 1 patient that responded to guiding elastics, applied for 1 week. One patient (7%) had postoperative wound dehiscence which responded to oral antibiotics and local manoeuvre. There were no majorcomplications, defined as the need for hospitalization or retreatment of the fracture (ie, osteomyelitis, malunion, or nonunion).
The results of this study suggest that the complication rates associated with the treatment of isolated mandibular angle fractures using a superior border plating technique, in this patient population,is relatively low (13.33%). The complications were all minor in nature
Isolated Mandibular angle fracture, Noncompression miniplate
