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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
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Treatment of Facial Deformities using 3D Planning and Printing of Patient-Specific Implants
Published on: May 23, 2020
Three-dimensional modeling system for unilateral mandibular bone distraction: a clinical case.
C Diemunsch1, F Faure, F Trunde
1Departments of Buccal Surgery and Orthodontics, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 6-8 place Depéret, Lyon, France. cnachampassak@aliceadsl.fr
Summary
This study introduces 3D imaging software for planning mandibular osteodistraction in children with facial hemiatrophy. The innovative technique precisely models bone movement for improved surgical outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Craniofacial surgery
- Medical imaging
- Biomechanical engineering
Background:
- Facial hemiatrophy, a first branchial arch anomaly affecting 1 in 4000-5000 newborns, is optimally treated with bone distraction.
- Mandibular osteodistraction necessitates precise determination of the distraction vector's three components for effective activation.
Observation:
- A 5-year-old patient with Grade IB right facial hemiatrophy underwent CT scanning for detailed imaging.
- Specialized software utilized a region-growing algorithm for anatomical segmentation and 3D model creation.
- Surgical simulation involved 3D cephalometric analysis, landmark placement, and virtual bone segment manipulation.
Findings:
- The software enabled virtual rotations and translations of bone segments to achieve a parallel mandibular occlusion plane.
- An external multidirectional distractor facilitated mandibular ramus and corpus elongation, goniac angle reduction, and ramus repositioning.
- Within 15 days, a 10-degree reduction in mandibular angle was observed, closing the anterior gap and recentering incisors.
Implications:
- The developed 3D imaging software effectively models complex, multi-directional bone deficits for distraction osteogenesis.
- This technology offers a promising approach for precise surgical planning in pediatric craniofacial anomalies.
- Further clinical validation is required to confirm the efficacy of this 3D imaging-based technique.
