Submandibular Approach to the Mandible (Cadaver)

Abstract

The submandibular, or Risdon approach, is an extraoral approach for treating fractures of the mandibular body and angle. Despite the fact that the intra-oral approach has been used recently for open reduction and internal fixation, the submandibular approach is applied to more difficult fracture patterns such as comminuted, atrophic, and defect fractures. This approach allows better manipulation of the fragments, good control of the lingual cortex and inferior border, and application of selected hardware. Here we demonstrate how to perform a submandibular approach in a cadaver.