Advances in Rigid Fixation in Maxillofacial Surgery

Plate osteosynthesis has become a popular method in securing rigid fixation at fracture and osteotomy sites in maxillofacial surgery. Plating provides an effective means of stabilizing bone, thereby providing an optimal environment for healing to occur. Because plate fixation does provide rigid osteosynthesis, in most cases intermaxillary fixation is not required. The plating systems currently available can be classified into compression and noncompression types. Compression plates, by virtue of their biomechanical design, provide active compression at the fracture site, thereby promoting primary bone healing. The holes in compression plates are oval and the screws are placed in an eccentric fashion in these holes. As the screws are tightened into the bone, the head of the screw contacts the side of the hole and then, as the screw further countersinks itself into the plate, it forces the bone ends together in an active compression fashion. These screws are typically bicortical in