Fixation in Maxillofacial Surgery—Past, Present and Future: A Narrative Review Article

Abstract

Introduction: The present review explores the existing documentation in the literature related to the fixation of mandibular fractures undertaken in maxillofacial surgery. Methods: English language articles were searched in various databases such as Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The keyword used for searching are “Mandible Fracture,” “Maxillomandibular fixation,” “Fixation” and “Recent Advancements.” Results about the history of fixation: Extended history into the pre-Christian era, early medieval, through the 17th, 18th and 19th, 20th, 21st centuries have been dealt in the narrative review. Emphasis on the present plating system with focus on present and future prospects like AI, virtual reality as well as Magnesium based plating systems have also been dealt here. Conclusions: The present review spotlights on understanding present, past, and future aspects of fixation of mandibular fractures. Currently, titanium plates are being used and the most popular materials though future holds good prospects for polymer based and magnesium based materials.