A Qualitative Engineering Analysis of Occlusion Effects on Mandibular Fracture Repair Mechanics

Abstract

Objectives. The purpose of this analytical study was to examine and critique the engineering foundations of commonly accepted biomechanical principles of mandible fracture repair. Materials and Methods. Basic principles of static equilibrium were applied to intact and plated mandibles, but instead of the traditional lever forces, the mandibles were subjected to more realistic occlusal forces. Results. These loading conditions produced stress distributions within the intact mandible that were very different and more complex than the customary lever-based gradient. The analyses also demonstrated the entirely different mechanical environments within intact and plated mandibles. Conclusions. Because the loading and geometry of the lever-idealized mandible is incomplete, the associated widely accepted bone stress distribution (tension on top and compression on the bottom) should not be assumed. Furthermore, the stress gradients within the bone of an intact mandible should not be extrapolated to the mechanical environment within the plated regions of a fractured mandible.