Evaluation of the indications for conservative and surgical treatment of mandibular fractures in the light of late therapeutic results. Own material results of studies

The studied material comprised 300 inpatients with mandibular fractures in whom the data necessary for the intended assessment were collected according to an acc epted programme. The collected material made possible to evaluate the indications to surgical and conservative treatment in the light of immediate and late results considering the duration of the treatment and its effectiveness, and the time of disability to work or school work. On the basis of the obtained therapeutic results the necessity was demonstrated of introduction of slight corrections in the presently accepted indications to the choice of treatment type. The result of the study is a suggestion for extension of the indications to surgical treatment with consideration of the modern methods of osteosynthesis in certain groups of patients with mandibular fractures. It was noted that a considerable number of patients had too long, unjustified illness leaves from work which the authors regard as a sociological phenomenon requiring further studies.