Treatment of Mandibular Angle Fractures

The management of mandibular angle fractures is often challenging and results in the highest complication rate among fractures of the mandible. In addition, the optimal treatment modality for angle fractures remains controversial. Traditional treatment protocols for angle fractures have involved rigid fixation with intraoperative maxillomandibular fixation (MMF) to ensure absolute stability. However, more recently, non-compression miniplates have gained in popularity and the use of absolute intraoperative MMF as an adjunct to internal fixation has become controversial. In this article, the history of, and current trends in, the treatment of mandibular angle fractures will be briefly reviewed. In addition, issues regarding the management of the third molar tooth will be discussed.