Manually provided temporary maxillomandibular fixation in the treatment of selected mandibular fractures.

Abstract

To report the occlusal outcomes of manually provided temporary intraoperative maxillomandibular fixation (MMMF) for the open repair of selected mandibular fractures. STUDY DESIGN/SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of the patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation of mandibular fractures with MMMF was performed. Twenty-six patients underwent open reduction and internal fixation with MMMF. Postoperative data were available for only 16 patients who kept their follow-up appointments. With the exception of one patient who experienced minimal cross-bite in the right molar region, all of the patients had their original normocclusion. Preliminary results of MMMF suggest that satisfactory postoperative occlusal outcomes may be obtained without the use of wire-based maxillomandibular fixation methods in selected mandibular fractures.