Conservative treatment of fractures without fixationis necessary when there is minimal displacement or mobility of bone fragments. This approach is particularly suitable for stable fractures where natural healing can occur without surgical intervention.
The primary benefit of conservative treatment is its minimally invasive nature, which reduces recovery time and the risk of complications associated with surgery. By allowing the body to heal naturally, this approach preserves bone integrity and minimizes trauma to surrounding tissues. It also avoids the need for hardware, reducing costs and the risk of hardware-related issues such as infection or failure.
For oral and maxillofacial surgeons, careful monitoring is essential to ensure proper healing. Surgeons should assess the fracture site regularly for signs of malunion (improper alignment during healing) or non-union (failure to heal). If complications arise, further intervention, such as fixation or revision surgery, may be required. Patient education on activity restrictions and follow-up care is also critical to prevent setbacks.