Employing Rapid Prototyping biomedical model to assist the surgical planning of defect mandibular reconstruction

Mandibular defects need customized titanium plates for reconstruction. The conventional design process of titanium plate is prior to surgical interventions. The efficiency and accuracy of the conventional method is mainly dependent on experiences and skills of the designer. In order to decrease the dependence on design experience and enhance the participation of surgeons in the design process, designing and fabricating a customized titanium plate implant according to Rapid Prototyping (RP) biomedical model could be employed. RP biomedical model is greatly convenient to diagnosis and treatment planning. It could decrease the operation time and the risk of misinterpretation of the medical problem. In these cases, the operation time was reduced by 1.5-2.5 hours. A physical biomedical model also facilitates surgery planning and makes the rehearsal and simulation of the operation possibly. The customized titanium plate shape conforms to the patient´s mandible anatomy and is thick enough to provide the strength and stiffness needed to fix the mandible until the bone grafts and soft tissues heal. At the same time it is thin enough to avoid extensive intrusion into soft tissues and to avoid weighing too much for the patient´s jaw.