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Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Treatment of Facial Deformities using 3D Planning and Printing of Patient-Specific Implants
Published on: May 23, 2020
Combining Patient-specific Implant With Malar Reduction to Repair Mid-facial Asymmetry Caused by Craniofacial
Ka Ioi Wong1, Yehong Zhong2, Zheyuan Yu1
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai.
Abstract:
Mid-facial asymmetry caused by bone defect or deformation resulted from craniofacial fracture was a common secondary complication needed to repair. Patient-specific implant (PSI) designed with the unaffected side as a template is a good choice to repair this kind of facial asymmetry. However, in Asians, the broad and prominent zygomatic bone in unaffected side is not an optimal template, because the oval facial shape was considered as a more attractive appearance in Asian esthetic concept. To repair the mid-facial asymmetry and to improve the facial contour, the authors combined PSI implantation with malar reduction in one-stage surgery. The authors referred the facial proportion index (the optimal ratio of mid and lower face was 1.27) as a basis for preoperative precise design to determine the ideal facial shape of unaffected side, and used mirror image overlay technique with the ideal shape of unaffected side as a template to design the PSI. With this surgical strategy, patients not only can repair facial asymmetry but also can get a more attractive appearance.

