Hardware removal rates for mandibular angle fractures: comparing the 8-hole strut and champy plates.

Objective: To compare the removal rates of 8-hole angle strut plate and Champy line plate in repairing mandibular angle fractures.

Methods: Retrospective chart review at a tertiary care academic center of adults who were at least 18 years old with at least 1 mandibular angle fracture of a traumatic origin who underwent open reduction and internal fixation by using single monocortical miniplate fixation in Champy line or by using 8-hole angle strut plate via transbuccal approach. The outcome measures were hardware removal rates and the reason for removal of the hardware.

Results: One hundred four patients with a total of 106 angle fractures met the inclusion criteria for this study. Seventy-three angle fractures were treated with the 8-hole strut, and 33 angle fractures were treated with the Champy line plates. There were 6 plates removed in both groups. This resulted in 8.2% of plates removed in the 8-hole strut plate group and 18.2% in the Champy line group (P = 0.133). Loose hardware was determined to be the cause of plate removal in 2 (2.7%) of the 8-hole strut plate group compared with all 6 (18.2%) of the Champy group (P = 0.005).

Conclusions: Overall, removal rates between Champy line and 8-hole strut plates are not different in treating mandibular angle fractures, although the 8-hole strut plate has a lower rate of loose hardware-related plate removal compared with the Champy line plate.