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Local radiation dose, fixation, and non‐union of mandibulotomies
Author(s) -
Smeele Ludwig E.,
Slotman Ben J.,
Mens Jan W.,
Tiwari Rammohan
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0347(199907)21:4<315::aid-hed4>3.0.co;2-w
Subject(s) - medicine , osteotomy , surgery , complication , logistic regression , fixation (population genetics) , radiation therapy , radiation dose , nuclear medicine , population , environmental health
Background Non‐union of mandibulotomies is a serious complication but risk factors are unclear. No data are available on the effect of the specific dose of irradiation at the osteotomy site. Methods Forty‐eight patients (36 men, 12 women, median age 58 years) undergoing a mandibulotomy and postoperative radiotherapy were enrolled in the study. Twenty‐five had wire and 23 had plate osteosyntheses. Five patients had a non‐union and three had minor complications. The distribution of the radiation dose and the specific dose at the mandibulotomy site were calculated. Parametric tests and logistic regression were used for analysis. Results Non‐union was not related to a specific dose of irradiation at the osteotomy site. Also, no effect could be attributed to type of fixation. Conclusions There is no evidence for a single factor, radiation, or fixation type, that contributes to a non‐union. We recommend a careful surgical technique. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 21: 315–318, 1999.