Three-dimensional planning accuracy and follow-up protocol in orthognathic surgery: a validation study

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Orthognathic surgery planning requires precise methods for accuracy assessment.
• Postoperative follow-up is crucial for evaluating surgical outcomes and patient recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel three-dimensional (3D) tool for assessing orthognathic surgery planning accuracy.
• To evaluate the reliability of this 3D tool for postoperative follow-up.

Main Methods:

• Utilized computed tomography (CT) and cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) scans from 15 patients undergoing bimaxillary surgery.
• Developed a customized module in Amira software to analyze translational and rotational differences between surgical plans and outcomes.
• Applied intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) to assess inter- and intra-observer reliability.

Main Results:

• The 3D tool demonstrated high inter- and intra-observer reliability (ICC range: 0.94-0.98).
• Mean variability for translational and rotational movements was less than 0.4mm and 0.7°, respectively.
• The method proved reliable for both planning accuracy and follow-up assessments.

Conclusions:

• The proposed 3D tool offers a reliable and quantitative method for evaluating orthognathic surgery planning.
• This approach provides a time-efficient solution for postoperative follow-up and outcome assessment.
• The validated tool enhances the precision and effectiveness of orthognathic surgical procedures.