3D printed patient specific titanium plate in head and neck reconstruction: How accurate can it be?

Abstract

Background and Objective: Conventionally surgical plates are mass-produced with universal configurations that should be manually bended to match the individual bone anatomy. We aimed to study the feasibility of applying the 3D-printed surgical plates in head and neck reconstruction. A comparative study was performed to quantitatively investigate the accuracy of computer aided jaw reconstruction with or without 3D printed patient specific titanium plate. Patients & Methods: We have initiated a new workflow in designing and fabricating patient-specific surgical plates using the 3D printing technologyPatients with benign or malignant tumours of mandible or maxilla who underwent microsurgical reconstructive surgery were enrolled in the study. Pre-operative computer planning was performed for jaw resection, fibula segmentalization, and reconstruction of jaw defects. 3D printed surgical templates were used to guide the jaw resection and fibula segmentalization. 3D printed patient specific titanium plates were used in one group, while commercial titanium plates were used in the other group. Results: The distance deviation and angulation deviation of the bone graft segments and TMJ 3D position were analysed. A total of 32 cases who met the criteria were studied, with 16 cases in each group. Compared to commercial titanium plates, 3D printed patient specific titanium plates facilitated the surgery and increased the accuracy of reconstruction. Conclusions: The 3D printing of patient-specific surgical plates could be effective in head and neck reconstruction. Compared to the conventional titanium plates, surgical procedures with the use of 3D printed customized plates were simplified and the precise jaw reconstruction was achieved with high accuracy. (This study was supported by Health and Medical Research Fund No.05161626, Food and Health Bureau, HK ).