An in vitro study in separating tensile loads during maxillo-mandibular fixation using wire and/or elastics

Intermaxillary fixation (IMF) or maxillo-mandibular fixation (MMF) is a fundamental process in stabilizing the maxilla and mandible through dental maximum intercuspation (MIP) during the management of trauma, orthognathic surgery, and reconstruction. Despite the availability of several techniques in achieving adequate maxillo-mandibular fixation, concerns have been raised regarding the sufficiency of using only latex elastics to counter displacing forces during reduction and fixation. To address this, an in vitro study was conducted to compare the efficacy of three maxillo-mandibular fixation methods: wire, elastics, and a combination of both. Custom-made models simulating dental arches were used, and a vertical separation of up to 1 mm was applied at a loading rate of 1 mm/minute using an Instron 5566 Universal Testing Machine. Tensile loads were recorded at 0.5 and 1 mm vertical separation, with each process repeated 10 times in each sample group. The average peak tensile load was then calculated. Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA at a significance level of p<0.05 revealed significant differences between all three subject groups. The outcomes of this in vitro study suggest that the combination technique (using both wire and elastics) outperformed the individual methods in achieving robust maxillo-mandibular fixation. This positions the combination technique as the most effective among the evaluated fixation methods.