Method: A total of thirty patients with forty two mandibular fractures were treated with Champy miniplate fixation. All treatments were carried out under local anaesthesia, at the oral and maxillofacial surgery department, Lagos University Teaching Hospital between May 2005 and June 2006.
The aetiology, site, number of fractures, time of treatment after injury, preoperative infection and paraesthesia,postoperative complications e.g. infection, malocclusion, malunion and plate removal were all recorded.
Results: Twenty-five patients met the inclusion criteria with 47 plates inserted. The average time of treatment after injury was 14.9days. Postoperative infection was observed in 4(16%) patients, one of which required incision and drainage. Malocclusion rate was 6(24%). No case of malunion was recorded. About 4 out of the 47 plates inserted in the 25 patients were removed. A total of 12(48%) patients in this study had post operative complications that were easily managed. The average time to regain function and weight loss was 5 and 6 days respectively. Final treatment outcome for all patients were satisfactory.
Conclusion: The study suggested that despite the high complication rate but early recovery of function and weight loss, miniplate osteosynthesis maybe a good treatment option in the management of mandibular fractures in our setting.