Abstract
There are three objectives in the management of facial bone fracture: 1) restration of normal functions, 2) restration of normal appearance, 3) restration of normal occlusion, the most important item especially for oral surgeons. In this paper, the historical transition of the treatment procedures for jaw and malar bone fractures was mentioned. Wire ligatures, arch bars or splints which were applied to the teeth or skeletal parts were used for the coservative treatment of jaw fractures. For malar bone fracture, either interosseous wiring or retraction by hook was popular treatment method. But the patients were forced to stay in hospital for 4 to 6 weeks when these conventional conservative treatment were employed. Recently, regid internal fixation by using bone plates has been frequently used for the fracture of facial bone. Dynamic compression plate is suitable for rigid fixation of the mandibular bone fracture, and miniature screwed plate is widely applied for facial bone fractures. Because the rigid fixation of the bone is available by these procedures, the period of hospitalization is shortened, and the additional postoperative fixation is not necessary for such a longer time as by conservative procedures.
