title: An evaluation of the Würzburg titanium miniplate osteosynthesis system for mandibular fixation.
abstract: We present an 8-year experience with the Würzburg noncompression titanium miniplate system for the rigid fixation of the mandible during elective head and neck cancer surgery in a consecutive series of 100 patients. One half of the miniplates were used to fix mandibulotomies undertaken for surgical access. The remaining half were in patients undergoing reconstruction of segmental mandibular defects, the vast majority (92%) with vascularised bone grafts. One to four variously shaped miniplates were used per patient (mean = 1.5), plate size ranging from 4 to 40 holes. Fifteen patients (15%) developed complications which included 3 mandibular osteoradionecrosis, 8 broken, 5 infected, and 4 exposed plates. Three of the eight fractured plates were associated with nonunion. In this study, the main advantages of titanium miniplate fixation, namely case of application, decreased fixation time and malleability, were accompanied by a level of morbidity which, while comparing well with alternatives, may necessitate a reappraisal of this technique of fixation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Malata
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvi
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: McKiernan
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Milner
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Piggot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001860:Bone Plates; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D002648:Child; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000379:methods; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium