ABSTRACT
Morphologically, the mandible is a U-shaped bone. The muscles of mastication and the suprahyoid muscles are the principal movers of the mandible. The masseter and medial pterygoid muscles attach to much of the ramus and therefore splint fractures, and maintain blood supply. Ramus fractures rarely need operative repair. The canine teeth have long roots and the mandibular third molar teeth are often partially erupted and weaken bone locally, accounting for the frequency of fractures in these regions. In young patients, the periosteum may resist fracture displacement at the time of impact and in minimally displaced fractures may facilitate non-operative management. Pain relief may be achieved by infiltration of local anaesthesia around the fracture, or if possible, by an inferior alveolar nerve block.
