Titanium screw implants for intermaxillary fixation of partially edentulous jaw.

Establishment of the best possible relationship between upper and lower teeth is very important when treating jaw fractures and orthognathic deformities in partially edentulous patients. Many surgeons use arch bars and acrylic splints for intermaxillary fixation (IMF) to obtain the best occlusal relationships after the operation. In patients with sufficient teeth, IMF is not so difficult to realize. However, in partially edentulous patients, the available teeth may not be sufficient to apply arch bars or splints. This paper describes a system for IMF of a partially edentulous jaw. Screws made of medical-grade titanium are implanted into the alveolar ridges where two or more teeth are missing. Arch bars or acrylic splints secured on these implants and available teeth can be used safely for IMF. In vitro axial pull-out tests demonstrated that these implants can withstand the traction forces generated by elastics. Five partially edentulous patients, three with mandibular fractures and two with orthognathic problems, were treated with these implants. All patients healed without any complications and with the best possible occlusal relationships.