COMPLICATIONS OF MANDIBULAR FRACTURES

Timely repair of mandibular fractures remains an effective means to re duce pain, restore function, and prevent complications. This study add resses the effect of the time interval between injury and treatment on the overall complication rate, the complication rate between various treatment modalities (mandibular-maxillary fixation [MMF] alone, MMF w ith intraosseous wire bone fixation, and MMF with rigid internal fixat ion), and the relationship of inpatient vs. outpatient management. Cos t was also examined with respect to choice of management. We report a retrospective series of 308 consecutive patients managed at the Univer sity of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Patients who received treatme nt 3 to 10 days following injury were found to have a lower complicati on rate than earlier or later repair. We postulate that most patients with mandibular fractures may be managed on an outpatient basis, which represents a considerable savings in cost.