Stryker SMARTLock Hybrid Maxillomandibular Fixation System: Clinical Application, Complications, and Radiographic Findings.

BACKGROUND: The SMARTLock Hybrid MMF System from Stryker is a newer approach for maxillomandibular fixation. This study was performed to determine the clinical application, complications, radiographic findings, and cost effectiveness of the SMARTLock system. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed with the SMARTLock system over 6 months. Demographics, history, fracture location, placement/removal time, and complications were obtained, along with cost analysis. RESULTS: The authors identified 35 patients with the SMARTLock system. Twenty-four patients remained after exclusion criteria. There were 19 male patients (79 percent) and five female patients (21 percent), with a mean age of 30.7 years. The mean application time of the SMARTLock system was 14.4 minutes, and the mean removal time was 10.5 minutes. Three hundred nineteen total screws were placed. The number and percentage of patients with complications associated with the SMARTLock system were as follows: mucosal overgrowth [n = 9 (38 percent)], screw loosening [n = 4 (17 percent)], lip irritation [n = 4 (17 percent)], malocclusion [n = 3 (13 percent)], nonunion [n = 1 (4 percent)], wound dehiscence [n = 1 (4 percent)], screw loss [n = 1 (4 percent)], tooth devitalization [n = 1 (4 percent)], loose plate [n = 1 (4 percent)], and plate fracture [n = 1 (4 percent)]. There were no instances of sharps exposure, tooth loss, or infection. One tooth required endodontic therapy. The number of screws that damaged teeth on cone-beam computed tomographic imaging was 24 (7.5 percent). The cost analysis showed similar cost between Erich arch bars and the SMARTLock system. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the SMARTLock Hybrid MMF System is safe and easy to use, and with a cost similar to that of Erich arch bars. Appropriate treatment planning and previous surgical experience should be used to determine appropriate case selection, as this system is not ideal in all situations. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Neuropathic pain following sagittal split ramus osteotomy of the mandible: prevalence, risk factors, and clinical course.

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence of, risk factors for, and clinical course of neuropathic pain (NPP) after sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) of the mandible in a large cohort of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort of all patients who underwent SSRO at 2 medical centers within Kaiser Permanente Northern California from January 2007 through September 2012 was assembled. Demographic, clinical, and surgical factors were abstracted from medical records and relevant comorbidities were identified. The prevalence of NPP in the cohort was calculated and the clinical signs, symptoms, temporal characteristics, and treatment response in affected patients were noted. RESULTS: The authors identified 1,778 patients who underwent SSRO and excluded 107 patients according to predefined criteria. The remaining 1,671 patients had a median age of 24 years (interquartile range, 19 to 35 yr) and 62.4% were women. Seven patients developed NPP after SSRO, which was an overall prevalence of 0.42%. All patients with NPP in this cohort were women and had a median age of 49 years. The risk factors for developing NPP after this surgery were older age (P = .0098), depression (P = .0100), and female gender. NPP developed an average of 30 days postoperatively (range, 18 to 56 days) and persisted for a median duration of 52 days (range, 30 to 69.5 days). All patients responded favorably to anticonvulsant (n = 6) or tricyclic (n = 1) medications, and no patients developed chronic postsurgical pain. CONCLUSIONS: NPP was an infrequent complication after SSRO, occurring in 1 of 238 patients in this cohort. The short duration and positive response to medication are reassuring findings. The results of this investigation highlight the need for prospective studies to further understand the spectrum of postoperative NPP.