Response to "Trust, but verify".

Titanium plate removal in orthognathic surgery: prevalence, causes and risk factors. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

The purpose of this review was to analyse the prevalence of titanium plate removal in orthognathic surgery, as well as the causes of plate removal, and to determine the associated risk factors. A thorough search of the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted. The inclusion criteria were studies of adult patients who underwent orthognathic surgery in which monocortical titanium plates and screws were placed. Of the 325 references identified, 19 were included in the qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis. Overall, 13.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.6-18.3%) of the patients required the removal of at least one titanium plate; 9.7% (95% CI 6.3-14.6%) of the plates…