Cançado R P, Cardoso E S, Bourguignon Filho A M, Borges H O I, Heitz C, de Oliveira M G
Graduate Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 6681, CEP 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2006 Jun;35(6):528-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ijom.2006.01.024. Epub 2006 Mar 15.
The use of plates for the treatment of fractures can affect craniofacial bone development. This study investigated the effect of bioabsorbable plates and titanium microscrews on the growth of the craniofacial skeleton of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), in the neonatal period. A LactoSorb plate and PROMM titanium microscrews were positioned across the coronal suture in animals in the study group. In the control group, only PROMM titanium microscrews were attached to the cranium. Anteroposterior linear measurements were obtained using 3 different gauging devices: digital precision caliper, EKG caliper and nylon string. Frontal-nasal (FN) distances were statistically different between the left and right side when the digital caliper (P<or=0.01), EKG caliper (P<or=0.01) and nylon string (P<or=0.05) were used. Mean right-side FN distances in the control and study groups were significantly different (P<or=0.05) when measured with the EKG caliper. Normal neonatal craniofacial growth of rabbits was affected by the use of bioabsorbable plates in this study. Further studies should be conducted to investigate whether these plates affect growth in human beings.
