[Competence and communication in the implementation of computer-assisted surgical planning]

In the past the planning of surgical interventions in oral and maxillofacial surgery was based on the clinical picture with the assistance of conventional 2‑dimensional X‑ray images. In cases in which the occlusion was affected, plaster cast models of the jaws were included as a planning aid. With introduction of computed tomography (CT) and the possibility to obtain a 3-dimensional picture of bony structures, it was possible for the first time to construct a virtual image of bony structures and therefore of traumatic, iatrogenic and congenital deformities. Using stereolithographic models, these 3‑dimensional relationships were easily "understandable". Risks could be better classified in the planning of an operative intervention and these models could be used as a basis for communication. It was also possible to use the data acquired by CT for design and construction of so-called CAD/CAM patient-specific implants and to implant them; however, the resolution of the data sets and thus the level of detail did not yet correspond to the current standard, so that "delicate" structures could not be constructed. With the improvement of the resolution of CT and the possibility of additive construction processes, such as the selective laser melting (SLM) process or the 3D printing process, the improvement of precision and shaping of the implant practically without limits became reality. Through the bundling of competencies on both sides, engineer and physician, complex computer-aided planning has now become possible. The basis for this is precise communication to avoid errors in the planning process, which in particular needs individual patient information, e.g. about the structure and quality of the overlying soft tissues.