Complication rates associated with different treatments for mandibular fractures

Purpose: This study compared the complication rate with different types of mandibular fracture treatment (maxillomandibular fixation, 2-mm miniplates, 2.4-mm AO plates, and 2.7-mm AO plates). Patients and Methods: A total of 245 patients who presented with 386 fractu res were retrospectively analyzed. Patient characteristics, type of fractur e, severity of fracture, type of treatment used, and occurrence of complica tions were recorded. Statistical analysis was used to compare complication rates, fracture severity, and type of treatment. Results: There were no differences in the complication rates for the differ ent types of treatment. There was a significant correlation (P < .05) betwe en fracture severity and the overall complication rate, postoperative infec tion, and postoperative malocclusion, but there was no significant correlat ion between these complications and the type of treatment applied. Conclusion: The occurrence of postoperative complications in the treatment of mandibular fractures is fundamentally related to the severity of the fra cture rather than to the type of treatment used.