Abstract
AIM: To carry out clinical in vivo evaluation of efficiency of the 2-mm lambda plate for open reduction and internal fixation of condylar fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective clinical study was conducted on a group of 16 patients who underwent open reduction for subcondylar fractures of the mandible and fixation using a 2-mm 7-holed titanium lambda miniplate. RESULTS: The average surgical time was found to be 79.5 min. The ease of access was found to be adequate in 13 cases (81.3%). All patients showed a gradual improvement in mouth opening and occlusion over the post-operative follow-up period. The maximum mouth opening seen at 3-month follow-up was 54 mm. None of the patients had transient or permanent weakness of the facial nerve. In our study, we encountered one case of hardware failure (6.25%). CONCLUSION: The 2-mm lambda condylar miniplate provides an excellent stabilisation of the fractured subcondylar segments and ensures satisfactory results, confirmed both clinically and radiographically. The plate reduces the amount of surgical exposure needed and does not cause any significant post-operative complications.