Arch Bars vs. IMF (Intermaxillary Fixation) Screws: Cost Effectiveness Based on Time Duration of Device Placement.

Determining the cost effectiveness, based on the time duration of application, of two methods of wiring the jaws together during surgery to repair mandible fractures. One technique is more expensive but faster in application, while the other is less expensive and takes more time to apply.

Purpose: To identify which option of wiring the jaws together during treatment of mandible fractures is more cost effective to the patient, Erich arch bars or IMF (Intermaxillary Fixation) screws. Patients who sustain mandible fractures that meet the inclusion criteria will be randomized to one of the two treatment types listed above. The overall treatment in both categories is consistent with the standard of care, the only difference being the method utilized to achieve intermaxillary fixation during the course of the surgery.