Management of Mandibular Angle Fractures Using One Miniplate Versus Two Miniplate Fixation System

Objective: To compare postoperative complication rates in patients with non-comminuted, favourable mandibular angle fractures treated using either single miniplate fixation (Champy’s technique) or a two-miniplate approach. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry Rawalpindi, Pakistan from Dec 2024 to May 2025. Methodology: Sixty patients with favourable mandibular angle fractures were non-randomly allocated by alternate assignment into two equal groups. Group-A underwent fixation with a single miniplate at the superior border, while Group-B received two miniplates at the superior and inferior borders. Postoperative complications, including wound infection, neurosensory disturbance, malocclusion, wound dehiscence, pseudoarthrosis, hardware failure, and scarring, were evaluated on Day 1 and Weeks 1, 2, and 4. Data were analysed using SPSS version 23. Chi-square test was applied to compare complication rates between the two groups, with significance set at p≤0.05. Results: Wound infection occurred in 6.7% of patients in Group-A and 33.3% of patients in Group-B (p=0.010). Statistically significant differences were also noted in neurosensory dysfunction (0.0% vs. 16.7%, p=0.020), wound dehiscence (6.7% vs. 26.7%, p=0.038), hardware failure (6.7% vs. 26.7%, p=0.038), and scarring (3.3% vs. 23.3%, p=0.023), respectively. Malocclusion showed no significant difference (10.0% vs. 13.3%, p=0.688), and pseudoarthrosis was absent in both groups. Overall, 26.7% of Group-A and 73.3% of Group-B experienced at least one complication (p<0.001). Conclusion: Single miniplate fixation resulted in fewer postoperative complications and is preferable for favourable mandibular angle fractures.