Development of osteosynthesis materials has contributed to the remarkable advancement of the treatment of mandibular fracture and reconstruction of the mandible. Especially, dynamic compression osteosynthesis techniques including the A-O system has transformed the conventional concept of reconstructive treatment.
However, since stainless steel is used in the A-O system, there has been a problem in the biological affinity of A-O material for tissues. Development of a mandibular reconstruction plate using a metal such as titanium that has a tissue affinity has been strongly awaited. In fact, titanium has high anti-corrosive property and does not induce foreign body rejection. Furthermore, it is characterized by the advantage of being retained for a long time in living human body. Only a titanium miniplate has been available so far as reconstruction material made of titanium. It has been found that even though this plate is used for mandibular reconstruction after continuous resection or unilateral resection of the mandible which entail a somewhat large interspace, the deficiency of the structural rigidity could cause displacement of the graft and hence could result in infection.
Our recent attempt at mandibular reconstruction in 4 patients using the titanium mandibular reconstruction system proposed by Reuther et al. of Warzburg University(WTMR) have produced successful results.
The patients to whom WTMR was applied consisted of 1 who underwent immediately reconstruction after continuous resection of the mandible due to mucoepidermoid carcinoma, 2 who underwent continuous resection of the mandible due to odontogenic keratocysts and 1 who underwent fixation and reinforcement of the pathologically fractured mandible due to abnomral resorption of the mandible. In the patients treated for reconstruction, satisfactory continuity and symmetricity were restored. In the patient treated for fixation, the fractured bone was joined satisfactorily.
