Table 1.
Summary of Ellis's Clinical Investigations of Mandibular Angle Fracture Fixation Techniques
| Investigation | Patient Population | Fixation Technique | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passeri LA, Ellis E, Sinn DP (1993)7 | 96 patients with 99 fractures managed over 3-y | Closed reduction with maxillomandibular fixation, or nonrigid means of fixation | 17% infection only, 4% combination of infection, nonunion, and malocclusion |
| Ellis E 3rd, Ghali G (1991)2 | 30 patients managed over 1-y | Single 2.7-mm lag screw technique | 27% additional fixation, 23% infection/bone exposure, 7% occlusal discrepancies |
| Ellis E 3rd, Karas N (1992)3 | 30 patients with 31 fractures | Two 2-mm four-hole minidynamic compression plates | 30% total complication rate; swelling and low-grade infection requiring plate removal (17%), early infection (10%), nonunion with malocclusion (3%) |
| Ellis E 3rd (1993)1 | 52 patients with 52 fractures over 2-y | 2.7-mm reconstruction plate | 8% postoperative malocclusion and 8% postoperative infection |
| Ellis E 3rd, Sinn DP (1993)4 | 65 consecutive patients | Two 2.4-mm dynamic compression plates | 32% infections, 32% hardware removal, 18% nonunion, 2% nonunion with malocclusion |
| Ellis E 3rd, Walker LR (1994)5 | 67 consecutive patients with 69 fractures | Two 2-mm noncompression miniplates (self-tapping screws) | 28% total complications. 25% infections, 23% hardware removal, 7% delayed union, 1% nonunion. |
| Ellis E 3rd, Walker LR (1996)6 | 81 patients treated over 2-y period | One 2-mm four-hole superior border noncompression miniplate (self-tapping screws) | 16% infection, 1% infection and fibrous union |
| Potter J, Ellis E 3rd (1999)8 | 46 patients with 51 fractures over 2-y | One seven-hole, thin, malleable miniplate secured with six 1.3-mm self-tapping screws | 15% total infections, 6% minor infections,11% plate fracture, 4% requiring additional fixation |