Biomechanical evaluation of fixation techniques for bridging segmental mandibular defects.

Objective: To compare biomechanical properties of currently available plating systems used to reconstruct segmental mandibular defects.

Design: Controlled in vitro investigation.

Setting: Academic medical center laboratory.

Comparison of 3 methods of detecting acute respiratory distress syndrome: clinical screening, chart review, and diagnostic coding.

Background: Although the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome has been studied, few researchers have prospectively assessed the search tool used to identify cases.

Methods: For 5 months, all patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit in a teaching hospital were evaluated daily to determine whether criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome were met, and physicians' progress notes and discharge summaries for these prospectively identified patients were reviewed for mention of the syndrome. Discharge forms were reviewed for the codes (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision) specific to acute respiratory distress syndrome (518.

Does plate adaptation affect stability? A biomechanical comparison of locking and nonlocking plates.

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the degree of plate adaptation and effects of locking influenced the mechanical behavior of the plate/screw/substrate system for 2.0-mm monocortical superior border plates and 2.4-mm reconstruction plates secured at the inferior border intended to stabilize simulated mandibular angle fractures.

A biomechanical evaluation of mandibular condyle fracture plating techniques.

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the biomechanical behavior of various rigid internal fixation techniques for mandibular condylar process fractures.

Materials And Methods: Synthetic mandible replicas (Synbone, Landquart, Switzerland) were used to evaluate a control, and four monocortical mandibular condyle plating techniques. Each group was subjected to linear loading in lateral to medial, medial to lateral and posterior to anterior directions by an Instron 1331 (Instron, Canton, MA) servohydraulic mechanical testing unit.