Treatment of mandibular angle fractures using two 2.4-mm dynamic compression plates

Sixty-five consecutive patients with fractures of the mandibular angle were treated by open reduction and internal fixation using two dynamic compression plates placed through a transoral incision using transbuccal trochar instrumentation and 2.4-mm screws. In the first 20 cases, the screws were inserted without tapping the drill holes. In the remaining 45 cases, the drill holes were tapped. No patient was placed into postsurgical maxillomandibular fixation or training elastics. Overall, 21 fractures (32%) developed infections requiring secondary surgical intervention. The infection rate was higher in those fractures where the holes were not tapped (40%) than those cases when the holes were tapped (29%). Of the 21 fractures that required hardware removal, 9 fractures were healed and required no further treatment; 12 had no firm bony union and required postsurgical maxillomandibular fixation. Only one case resulted in a malunion with resulting malocclusion. The use of two dynamic compression plates was found to be relatively easy, but resulted in an unacceptable rate of infection.