Surgical Management of Bilateral Mandibular Angle Fractures With a Third Molar in Line of Fracture: A European Multicenter Survey.

PURPOSE

The aim of this survey was to investigate the surgical management of bilateral mandibular angle fracture (BMAF) in Europe.

METHODS

Data were collected from 2008 to 2018 on patients ≥ 16 years of age who underwent open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for BMAF with a third molar in the fracture line. The study was conducted at 6 European trauma centers. The following data were recorded: sex, age, cause of the fracture, type of fracture (nondisplaced, displaced, comminuted), type of approach (intraoral, transbuccal, or extraoral), thickness of the plate (≤1.4 mm or ≥1.5 mm), number of plates, cause of plate removal, and third molar extraction status.

RESULTS

25 patients with BMAF (24 males, 1 female, 17 to 83 years old [mean: 28.2 years]) were collected. The main cause of BMAF was assault, and the main surgical approach was intraoral. The most common types of BMAF were displaced + undisplaced (11 patients), displaced + displaced (7 patients), undisplaced + undisplaced (6 patients), and comminuted + comminuted (1 patient). Osteosynthesis was performed with 2 ≤1.4 mm plates on 1 angular fracture and 1 ≤1.4 mm plate on the other fracture in 11 patients, 1 ≤1.4 mm plate on both angular fractures in 6 patients, 1 ≥1.5 mm plate on both fractures in 5 patients, and 2 ≤1.4 mm plates on both fractures in the remaining 3 patients. Out of 25 patients with BMAF, 7 third molars were extracted during ORIF. Among these patients, angular fracture fixation was performed in 3 cases with 1 ≥1.5 mm plate and in 4 patients with 2 ≤1.4 mm plates.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective multicenter survey indicates a trend of treating with open reduction and rigid internal fixation at least 1 angular fracture of BMAF and those cases requiring extraction of the third molar in the line of fracture.