INION compared with titanium osteosynthesis: a prospective investigation of the treatment of mandibular fractures.

We prospectively studied two groups of 30 patients to assess the outcome of treatment of mandibular fractures with the biodegradable INION system compared with osteosynthesis with titanium miniplates. The degree of occlusion, wound healing, and swelling, were noted preoperatively and at 1 week, 6 weeks, and 6 months postoperatively. All fractures healed uneventfully, both clinically and radiologically, and independently of the osteosynthesis used. We found no long-term disturbance of occlusion, but there were twice as many malocclusions in the INION group at one week. We now use a 3-5 day period of postoperative elastic intermaxillary fixation (IMF) to prevent material deformities. Both groups developed problems with wound healing; with INION adequate soft tissue closure combined with appropriate positioning of the plates prevented this. At 6 months a dense swelling developed in some patients in the INION group as a result of biodegradation of the plates. INION plates were biocompatible and strong enough to treat mandibular fractures.