Complication rates in the operative treatment of mandibular angle fractures: a 10-year retrospective.

PURPOSE: Large-scale studies assessing complication rates and correlation of complications are still missing considering different fracture locations in the mandible. In the present retrospective study, complication rates of mandibular angle fractures treated by open reduction were assessed.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Three hundred twenty-two patients (259 men, 63 women) with 335 surgically treated mandibular angle fractures were included in this study.

RESULTS

Fractures were caused by fights (46.6%), falls (19.2%), traffic accidents (14.6%), sports (11.9%), wisdom tooth removal (7.3%), and 0.9% other causes. Successful treatment occurred in 93.69% of fractures with 1 open reduction and in 6.31% with 2 open reductions. Of surgically treated patients, 71.47% (238) were completely free of complications. A detailed complication correlation matrix is given in the text. Ninety-five fractures treated with 1 miniplate, 170 with 2 miniplates, and 70 with other osteosynthesis concepts were compared regarding osteosynthesis failure and pseudarthrosis.

CONCLUSION

Similar osteosynthesis failure rates were shown for 1 miniplate and 2 miniplates.