A comparative in vitro study of fixation of mandibular fractures with paraskeletal clamps or screw plates.

The use of porcine rib pairs as an in vitro analog for the edentulous mandible is described. Using this model, the relative degree of fixation achieved with a screw plate (Champy) and a paraskeletal clamp plate (Mennen) has been evaluated. The fractured plated ribs failed at significantly lower bending forces than the non-sectioned controls. However, no statistically significant difference in force at failure between the two different methods of plate fixation could be demonstrated.