الفهرس 
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Abstract
SUMMARY
The choice of surgical approach in maxillofacial trauma varies widely and is strongly governed by the type, place and complexity of the fracture(44).
Conventional approaches to the mandibular angle carry a considerable risk or facial nerve injury, particularly to the marginal mandibular branch which has a critical contribution to the facial expressions and the smile of the patient.
Throughout literature, every attempt was made to address such complication, through taking safety distance and measurements during incision and fascial dissection till reaching the inferior border of the mandible.
In this study, the Transmasseteric anteroparotid approach offered a safe dissection pattern, related to the target area, away from the facial nerve branches that carry the risk of temporary or permanent affection.
The blunt dissection of the masseter muscle anterior to the anterior border of the parotid gland, negotiated a safe triangular zone, which is the same zone targeted by the transbuccal assisted method of fixation. This zone is sufficiently midway between the inferior border of the mandible, and the parotid duct closely accompanied by the second twig of the buccal branch of facial nerve, thus maintaining a safe distance from both.
The pattern of dissection parallel to the facial nerve branches was also a way to avoid the shear forces transmitting to the fascia attached to the nerve fibers.
Access to the surgical field could be easily tailored and increased according to the need, by creating pouches inside the muscle down to bone and then sharply dividing the muscle fibers between them in order to safely gain wider field of exposure.
Conventional approaches carry the risk of facial nerve injury, sialocele formation, salivary fistula, and Frey’s Syndrome.
During this study, mean interincisal opening was measured in order to assess the speed of masticatory function regain between the two groups.
Only adult healthy patients with normal facial nerve function were included in this study.
The facial nerve function was assessed using the House-Brackmann facial nerve grading scale, preoperatively and postoperatively during each follow up interval.
The result of this study showed that the nature of the conventional dissection method in the control group cause a temporary compromise to the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve in one patient, while in the study group, none of the patients had marginal mandibular branch affection, but one patient showed buccal branch affection which was not directly visualized intraoperatively and was attributed to the use of monopolar cautery for hemostasis with this case only. The degree of affection in both groups was mild and temporary and resolved by the end of the follow up.