CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF BILATERAL CONDYLAR FRACTURE BY A SIMPLIFIED TECHNIQUE OF MAXILLOMANDIBULAR FIXATION

단순악간고정법을 이용한 양측성 하악과두골절의 보존적 치료

The conservative treatment of the condylar fracture has been used for a long time because of its simplicity, good prognosis and less complication. Traditionally the conservative treatment has been carried out by maxillomandibular fixation using arch bar and wire. But a simplified technique of maxillomandibular fixation introduced here is a procedure that 4 bone screws are placed above the apecies of the maxillary and mandibular canines and then ipsilaterally placed maxillary and mandibular bone screws are linked by a loop of wire each other. This procedure has several advantages compared with the traditional maxillomandibular fixation method. 1) it provides simplicity for the operators. 2) it sustains maxillomandibular fixation more rigidly compared with arch bar technique. 3) it keeps stable maxillomandibular fixation in the region of the anterior teeth so that anterior open bite tendency can be remarkably minimized. 4) it does not injure the periodontal tissue because the teeth are not engaged and causes less discomfort to the patient. 5) it decreases the possibility of operator's AIDS infection through inadvertent skin puncture. 6) it is highly recommended for the patients whose teeth are available for maxillomandibular fixation. The two male patients were diagnosed as bilateral condylar and symphyseal fracture of the mandible. They restored stable occlusion and functional mandibular movement only by a simplified technique of maxillomandibular fixation.