title: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing 3D and Standard Miniplates in Treatment of Mandibular Symphysis and Parasymphysis Fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of the 3D miniplates to standard miniplates in the osteosynthesis of mandibular symphysis and parasymphysis fractures on the basis of clinical parameters and radiographic evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted to treat consecutive mandibular symphysis and parasymphysis fractures. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. The patients underwent osteosynthesis in group A with 3D titanium miniplates and in group B with conventional titanium miniplates. The cause of trauma, the number of days from injury to surgery, average age and gender were all reviewed. The assessment of the patients was done at 1, 3, and 6 weeks and 3 months using the clinical parameters and radiographic evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty patients with isolated symphysis or parasymphysis fracture met the inclusion criteria. In our study, a statistically significant difference was not found in the clinical parameters such as pain, swelling, infection, paresthesia, hardware failure, and mobility between the fracture segments. Similarly Radiological evaluation did not show any statistically significant difference in reduction between the 2 groups. 3D plates are difficult to adapt and use sometimes, but operative time is less with them in treatment of symphysis and parasymphysis fractures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of 3D miniplates for symphysis and parasymphysis fracture fixation was efficacious enough to bear the masticatory load during osteosynthesis of the fracture. Although 3D miniplate system is difficult to adapt and difficult to use in cases of fractures involving the mental nerve, they provide the advantage of less operative time and less implant material in treatment of symphysis and parasymphysis fracture, with clinical results almost similar to those seen with conventional miniplate osteosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Government Dental College, Subhash Nagar, Behind TB Hospital, Jaipur, 302016 Rajasthan India.
authors.forename: Mohit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.affiliation: Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Government Dental College, Subhash Nagar, Behind TB Hospital, Jaipur, 302016 Rajasthan India.
authors.forename: Balram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meena
authors.affiliation: Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Government Dental College, Subhash Nagar, Behind TB Hospital, Jaipur, 302016 Rajasthan India.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Government Dental College, Subhash Nagar, Behind TB Hospital, Jaipur, 302016 Rajasthan India.
authors.forename: Anjali Dave
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Tiwari
authors.affiliation: Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Government Dental College, Subhash Nagar, Behind TB Hospital, Jaipur, 302016 Rajasthan India.
authors.forename: Sunil Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jakhar
keywords: 3D miniplates; 3D plates; Mandible fracture; Mandibular symphysis; Symphysis and parasymphysis fracture