Orofacial trauma surgery is the foundation from which the speciality of maxillofacial surgery arose, and has significantly expanded and developed over the last 50 years [2].The mandible is the largest and strongest facial bone, by virtue of its position on the face and its prominence; it is commonly fractured when maxillofacial trauma has been sustained [3].The causes of fracture of the mandible are chiefly road traffic accidents, interpersonal violence, falls, sports injuries and industrial trauma [4]. Mandibular angle fractures account for 23-42% of all cases of mandibular fractures. The frequent involvement can be attributed to changes in the lines of calcification and strength from horizontal body to vertical ascending ramus, the thinner cross-sectional area, and the presence of impacted or partially erupted third molars. In addition, the mandibular angle is subjected to heavy muscle forces [10]. Fractures of the mandibular angle represent an important clinical challenge because their treatment is plagued with the highest post-surgical complication rate of all mandibular fractures. Not all mandibular fractures require operative treatment, but all successful treatment of mandible fractures depends on undisturbed healing in the correct anatomic position under stable conditions. Failure to achieve these conditions of healing results in infection, malocclusion, nonunion, or malunion [6][7][8][9]. Mandibular angle fractures are associated with the highest complication rates of all mandibular fractures, yielding an incidence as high as 32% [12][13][14][15]. Various techniques for treatment of mandibular angle fractures have been described in the literature; open reduction with non-rigid fixation by means of trans-osseous wires, cicum-mandibular wires, or small positional bone plates; AO reconstruction plates; dynamic compression plates; mini-dynamic compression plates; lag screws; and non-compression plates. Optimal treatment for angle fractures remains controversial. Various plate and screw systems that are used for treatment of mandibular angle fractures have been evaluated [11]. This in-vivo study was done to compare the results of two methods of fixation (open reduction and internal fixation) of mandibular angle fractures i.e., comparative evaluation between new design titanium miniplate and standard 4-hole titanium miniplate.
Materials and Methods:-This in-vivo study was done on patients with angle fracture at the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Informed consent was taken from all the patients prior to surgery and ethical committee permission was obtained.