The treatment of long standing bilateral fracture non- and mal-union in atrophic edentulous mandibles

Abstract

Long standing non-unions and mal-unions of atrophic edentulous mandibular fractures present a serious problem in oral surgical management. This paper describes a method of surgical treatment which involves an open reduction, freshening of the host bone margins, and the placement of an autogenous particulate bone graft of cancellous bone and marrow placed within a mesh implant of titanium. No intermaxillary fixation need be employed in this technique. A series of 12 cases of long standing intractable non- and mal-union of atrophic edentulous mandibles are presented and three cases are described in detail. The authors believe that this procedure is an optimal one for the management of patients presenting with these types of deformities and with this form of functional loss.