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ABSTRACT
Objectives: Evaluation of bite force one, two, and four weeks after discharge following treatment of Le Fort I and/or Le Fort II fracture by rigid fixation and mandibulomaxillary fixation. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate bite force following treatment of Le Fort I and/or Le Fort II fractures by rigid fixation and mandibulomaxillary fixation at one, two, and four weeks after discharge. This provides valuable results to guide the development of a treatment protocol for Le Fort fractures. Method: This was a prospective study including 31 patients who underwent followup examination three times after being discharged from hospital. The examination evaluated bite force using a bite force meter in the right molar, left molar, and incisor regions. Results: One week after discharge, bite forces in the right molar, left molar, and incisor regions were 94.29 ± 58.80 N, 95.42 ± 57.34 N, and 39,94 ± 30,29 N, respectively. Two weeks after discharge, bite forces in the right molar, left molar, and incisor regions were 153.84 ± 89.14 N, 153.00 ± 78.55 N, and 65,9 ± 43.89 N, respectively. Four weeks after discharge, bite forces in the right molar, left molar, and incisor regions were 279.77 ± 95.46 N, 285.00 ± 90,47 N, and 123.42 ± 54.04 N, respectively. Conclusions: Bite forces in the right molar, left molar, and incisor regions were significantly increased one week, two weeks, and four weeks after discharge. Bite force may be a helpful parameter to confirm the stability of the midface bone after treatment of Le Fort fractures.
Keywords: bite force, bite force after trauma, Le Fort, maxillary bone, midface, mandibulomaxillary fixation, rigid fixation.
1.BACKGROUND
According to Phillips et al., there were 1132 cases (16%) diagnosed with Le Fort I fractured and 1305 (19%) Le Fort II fractures in 6989 Le Fort fractures (1). Because traffic accidents are becoming more and more complex, there is an increasing number of both Le Fort I and Le Fort II fracture cases, and maxillary fracture cases as a whole. Furthermore, midfacial fractures have complicated clinical characteristics, causing severe deformations after the injury, resulting in sequelae such as malocclusion, convex face, displaced eyeballs, or nerve injury (2,3). Therefore, it is essential to study the clinical characteristics of these fractures...