Abstract
Background
There are strong torsional forces acting on the anterior mandible fractures. Maxillofacial surgery makes extensive use of digital technology, and three-dimensional printing is now an integral element of the workflow in several areas of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Three-dimensional (3D) miniplates had been proposed by several researchers as a good option for mandibular fracture fixation.
Methods
15 Patients with anterior mandibular fractures were included in the study. All patients undergone computer tomography (CT) scan and the data were imported in Mimics software. The unaffected healthy side was mirrored to the fractured side. Bone fixation three-dimensional plates were prebent and adapted on the model printed by three-dimensional printing machine, submitted to sterilization, and were used for bone reduction and fixation. An immediate postoperative CT scan was taken to evaluate the accuracy of virtual planning and after 3 months for evaluation of bone healing.
Results
Clinical observation revealed good stable occlusion and there was no significant difference between the postoperative three-dimensional image of the mandible and the virtually reduced mandible in the preoperative plan. The Hounsfield units (HU) measured on CT images after 3 months revealed good bone healing.