title: Efficacy of 2-mm locking miniplates in the management of mandibular fractures without maxillomandibular fixation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The management of trauma has evolved greatly over the past many years. Various bone plating systems have been developed to provide stable fixation of mandibular fractures. The introduction of the locking plate/screw system has offered certain advantages over the conventional plating systems. This system does not require intimate adaptation of the miniplates to the underlying bone and has greater stability. This study evaluates the efficacy of locking miniplate/screw system in the treatment of mandibular fractures without maxillomandibular fixation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study analyzing 20 patients with undisplaced or minimally displaced mandibular fractures, who reported to Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore. The selected cases were treated by open reduction and internal fixation using the 2.0 mm locking plate/screw system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Open reduction and internal fixation with the 2.0 mm locking plate/screw system were achieved in all the 20 cases with satisfactory stability of the fracture fragments. The system was found to be reliable and effective intraoperatively. Only two complications were noted in the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The locking miniplate system was found to be reliable and effective in management of mandibular fractures without postoperative intermaxillary fixation, however further studies with more sample size is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Chandan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prabhakar
authors.forename: Jayaprasad N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: O R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Hemavathy
authors.forename: Yadavalli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guruprasad