Treatment of initially infected mandibular fractures with bone plates.

Use of the self-compression plate has proved to be a reliable method for treatment of various mandibular fractures. It has been uncommon, however, to use the plates in preoperatively infected mandibular fractures. Based on acceptable results in general traumatology for cases with open-wound fractures, I inserted bone plates into initially infected mandibular fracture sites. The purpose of this paper is to report the results.