[Application of bone-support guide by three-dimensional printing technique in maxillary LeFortⅠosteotomy]

This study aimed to investigate the application of an osteotomy template and a repositioning template manufactured by three-dimensional (3D) printing technique in maxillary LeFortⅠosteotomy.

The patient group consisted of eight patients with maxillary hypoplasia who underwent LeFortⅠosteotomy. The mean age at the time of surgery was 25.6 years old. All patients were scanned using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to create a 3D model of the maxillary. The osteotomy and repositioning templates of the LeFortⅠosteotomy were manufactured by 3D printing technique. All bones were cut by the same doctor with extensive orthognathic surgery experience. One part of the template guided the osteotomy, and the other repositioned the maxilla during operation. Postoperative CBCT scan was performed, and the virtual plan was compared with the postoperative surgical result using an image fusion of the CBCT dataset by analyzing measurements between six landmarks relative to three reference planes. Statistical analysis was performed, and accuracy was reported using SPSS 16.0 software package.

Primary healing of incisions was observed in all patients, and no serious complications were observed. The maximum mean values were 1.35 mm, and the displacement error was UL6 to the coronal plane. The maximum standard deviation was 0.85, and the maximum standard error was 0.30, which was acceptable by clinical standards.

The application of osteotomy and repositioning templates manufactured by 3D printing technique in maxillary LeFortⅠosteotomy was safe and can enable doctors to complete a surgery accurately.