Postoperative radiographs after open reduction and internal fixation of the mandible: Are they useful?

Mandibular fractures are common in oral and maxillofacial departments in the UK. The aim of this study was to find out the national practice in preoperative and postoperative radiographic investigations for fractured mandibles and to audit their diagnostic capacity, including specificity and sensiti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery 2006-08, Vol.44 (4), p.279-282
Main Authors: Durham, J.A., Paterson, A.W., Pierse, D., Adams, J.R., Clark, M., Hierons, R., Edwards, K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Dental Occlusion
Dentistry
Diagnosis
Epidemiologic Methods
Female
Fracture Fixation, Internal
Humans
Male
Mandible - diagnostic imaging
Mandible - surgery
Mandibular fractures
Mandibular Fractures - diagnostic imaging
Mandibular Fractures - surgery
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology
Postoperative complications
Postoperative Complications - diagnostic imaging
Postoperative Period
Radiography
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Description
Summary:Mandibular fractures are common in oral and maxillofacial departments in the UK. The aim of this study was to find out the national practice in preoperative and postoperative radiographic investigations for fractured mandibles and to audit their diagnostic capacity, including specificity and sensitivity to short-term complications. The audit took place over a 4-month period and involved 100 patients across the Northern region. Ninety percent of patients were reviewed up to discharge and five of these patients developed a short-term postoperative complication. The postoperative radiograph was diagnostic in only one of the five cases. Overall, postoperative radiographs had a sensitivity of 20% and a specificity of 5% in their ability to predict short-term postoperative complications.
ISSN:0266-4356
1532-1940
DOI:10.1016/j.bjoms.2005.06.019