Background: Mandibular fractures with sagittal splitting
and splaying of both the lingual and buccal cortices poses a
challenge in their fixation as screws may push the lingual
cortex during screw tightening resulting in widening of the
mandible.
Methods: Screw lagging inside the lower mandibular plate
technique may help approximation of the near and far cortices
during screw tightening, this was applied for eight cases with
mandibular fractures.
Results: The splaying between the two cortices was
prevented regaining its normal medullary space width.
Conclusion: Using the screw lagging inside the plate
technique may be a safe technique used in mandibular fractures
that have cortical splaying