The present volume is concerned with bone surgery in the area of the facial skeleton. We find this branch of maxillofacial surgery espe- cially challenging because in our work within the Surgical Depart- ment of the University of Basle, we are constantly being confronted with the principles of internal fixation - in the care of poly- 1 traumatized patients, in organizing joint AO-ASIF courses or dur- ing trauma conferences. The problems of fracture disease and the unpleasant sequelae of unanatomical healing are by no means alien to maxillofacial surgery. Our main aim is to broaden our experience of the basic principles of stable anatomical fixation and early function in this branch of trauma and corrective surgery. It soon became apparent that pri- mary healing of fractures and osteotomies, as well as undisturbed re- vascularization of bone transplants and long-term tolerance of inert implants and joint prostheses depend on the stability of fixation un- der preload.
