The use of three-dimensional strut plates for the management of mandibular angle fractures: a retrospective analysis of 222 patients

This study was performed to evaluate the use of three-dimensional (3D) strut plates for the surgical management of mandibular angle fractures and to determine the subsequent postoperative complication rate. Two hundred and twenty-two patients met the inclusion criteria for mandible angle fracture at the university hospital in Miami between 2009 and 2013 and were included in this study. The treatment protocol for mandibular angle fractures included open reduction and internal fixation with the utilization of a 3D strut plate. Patients were not placed in postoperative intermaxillary fixation. An evaluation of the cases revealed a complication rate of 15.3%, of which 6.8% were considered major complications requiring a surgical intervention. The 3D strut plate has been found to have many advantages over single miniplate techniques with respect to the stability of the fracture and the rate of complications. Based on the current data, 3D strut plates provide a predictable result in the treatment of mandibular angle fractures.