Suitability of Wrist External Fixator for Treatment of Mandibular Fracture.

The mandibular fracture is one of the most commonly fractures of the facial bones. In high-energy traumas, a comminuted mandible fracture may occur. The closed reduction with external fixator is an interesting alternative for these types of fractures. The aim of this article is to report the case of a patient with comminuted fracture in the right mandibular body, whose surgical treatment was the noninvasive reduction of fracture and stabilization using a Colles' wrist external fixator. After 1 year of follow-up, the patient is without complaints, with satisfactory dental occlusion, adequate contour, and mandibular alignment. External fixation with wrist orthopedic fixators adapted to the mandible provides many advantages owing to its versatility and simplicity of use. Therefore, this method should be remembered as a valid and affordable option for the treatment of complex lesions when indicated correctly.

Incidence and classification of bifid mandibular canals using cone beam computed tomography

Aim: To determine the prevalence and classification of bifid mandibular canals using cone beamcomputed tomography (CBCT). Methods: The sample comprised 300 CBCT scans obtainedfrom the Radiology and Imaging Department database at São Leopoldo Mandic Dental School,Campinas, SP, Brazil. All images were performed on Classic I-Cat® CBCT scanner, withstandardized voxel at 0.25 mm and 13 cm FOV (field of view). From an axial slice (0.25 mm) aguiding plane was drawn along the alveolar ridge in order to obtain a cross-section. Results:Among 300 patients, 188 (62.7%) were female and 112 (37.3%) were male, aged between 13to 87 years. Changes in the mandibular canal were observed in 90 patients, 30.0% of thesample, 51 women (56.7%) and 39 men (43.3%). Regarding affected sides, 32.2% were on theright and 24.5% on the left, with 43.3% bilateral cases. Conclusions: According to the resultsobtained in this study, a prevalence of 30% of bifid mandibular canals was found, with the mostprevalent types classified as B (mesial direction) and bilateral.