Archives of Plastic Surgery (Jul 2013)
The Clinical Usefulness of Ultrasound-Aided Fixation Using an Absorbable Plate System in Patients with Zygomatico-Maxillary Fracture
Abstract
Background Ultrasound-aided fixation is a recently developed alternative method of treatment of zygomatico-maxillary (ZM) fracture, and it can resolve the problems of excessivetorsion force and subsequent fractures of screws. We conducted this study to evaluate theclinical usefulness of ultrasound-aided fixation as compared with the conventional fixationmethod using a drill and an expanderin patientswith ZMfracture.Methods We conducted a retrospective study in 35 patientswith ZMfracturewho had beentreated at our hospital during a period ranging fromMarch of 2008 toDecember of 2010. Wedivided them into two groups: an ultrasound-aided fixation group, comprising 13 patientswho underwent ultrasound-aided fixation (SonicWeld Rx, KLS Martin), and a conventionalgroup, comprising 22 patients who underwent conventional fixation (Biosorb FX, LinvatecBiomaterials Ltd.). We compared such variables as sex, direction, age at operation, follow-upperiod, operation duration, number of fixed holes, and time to discharge between the twogroups.Results The ultrasound-aided fixation reduced the operation duration by about 30 minutesas comparedwith that of conventional fixation. Therewas no significant difference in followup period, number of fixed holes, ortime to discharge between the two groups. Furthermore,therewere no complicationsin either group.Conclusions The ultrasound-aided fixation offractured ZMbone using an absorbable implantsystemissafe and effective in promptly reducing the bone fracture and providing satisfactorycosmetic outcomes overtime.
