Average Three-Dimensional Skeletofacial Model as a Template for Bone Repositioning during Virtual Orthognathic...

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Medical Imaging
• Computer-Aided Surgery

Background:

• Virtual planning is transforming orthognathic surgery.
• A novel computer-assisted method for creating average 3D skeletofacial models is presented.
• These models serve as templates for maxillomandibular repositioning surgical planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate average 3D skeletofacial models for virtual orthognathic surgery planning.
• To assess the accuracy of these models in simulating maxillomandibular repositioning.

Main Methods:

• Constructed average 3D skeletofacial models for males and females using images from 60 individuals.
• Validated model accuracy by comparing superimposed surgical simulation images with 3D cephalometric normative data.
• Analyzed differences in jawbone position between the developed models and normative data.

Main Results:

• Planned maxillary and mandibular positions showed high similarity between the developed models and normative data.
• Differences in facial landmarks were consistently below 1 mm, meeting success criteria.
• Demonstrated high consistency in jawbone position, validating the models' accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The developed average 3D skeletofacial models offer an innovative template-assisted approach for orthognathic surgery planning.
• These models enhance the fully digital workflow for virtual orthognathic surgical planning.
• The method provides a reliable tool for precise maxillomandibular repositioning.