TITANIUM MINIPLATE FIXATION FOR OSTEOTOMIES IN FACIAL FIBROUS DYSPLASIA - A HISTOLOGIC-STUDY OF THE SCREW BONE INTERFACE

In four patients who had osteotomies of the jaws affected by fibrous d ysplasia (FD), screws embedded in bone blocks were removed at a re-ent ry operation 20 months postoperatively. Morphometric measurement of th e bone density and calculation of the bone contact percentage were per formed. Both normal and dysplastic bone were found to have some direct bone contact with the titanium screws. Although the bone contact perc entage was higher in the normal bone when compared with FD, statistics failed to show any significant difference (P > 0.05). The dysplastic bone healed well around the titanium screws without inflammatory react ion and direct dysplastic bone/screw contact was noted. Longer screws should be used in facial FD in order to compensate for the reduced bon e contact percentage.