title: [Use of rigid internal fixation in treatment of oral and maxillofacial comminuted fracture].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the usefulness of rigid internal fixation in management of oral and maxillofacial comminuted fracture.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July 2004 to June 2007, 79 patients with oral and maxillofacial comminuted fractures (including 45 males, 34 females, aged from 9 to 69 years, 11 mandibular fractures, 31 ZMC fractures, 37 maxillary fractures) were treated with open reduction and rigid internal fixation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Facial profile in 79 cases and cross-bite in 77 cases were corrected satisfactorily. Cross-bite in 2 cases changed to open bite,and were corrected later with subsequent adjustment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occlusal relation and facial contour can be corrected with rigid internal fixation in tension-line, stress-line or maxillofacial pillars with acceptable outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Central People's Hospital of Tengzhou City, Tengzhou 277500, China. srxsdtz@126.com
authors.forename: Rong-xin
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion; D008337:Mandibular Fractures; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult