Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2025
Treatment of Facial Deformities using 3D Planning and Printing of Patient-Specific Implants
Published on: May 23, 2020
Simulating the Morphological Changes of Facial Deformities after Using 3D-printed Polyether Ether Ketone Facial
Ahmad Fayez Ahmad1, Hekmat Yacoub1, Ali Khalil1
1From the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Tishreen Hospital, Lattakia, Syria.
Background:
Patient-specific implants (PSIs) have been presented as an effective solution for diseases that require reconstruction. PSIs are designed to precisely fit anatomical defects or deformities in terms of shape and size. In addition to the possibility of predicting the results of surgery regarding soft tissue changes.
Methods:
A research sample consisting of 10 patients with facial deformities underwent maxillofacial reconstructive surgery between 2020 and 2021 in the Tishreen University Hospital, Syria. All patients underwent computed tomography scans; then, the design of the required facial implant was carried out, and the three-dimensional soft tissues were reconstructed using the ExoCad 3.0 program based on the computed tomography. The final form of the facial implant was printed from polyether ether ketone, and then surgical work was performed. The patients were followed up after 6 months. Then, a comparison was made between the virtual design and the real result.
Results:
The absolute difference between the expected soft tissue changes result and the actual result did not exceed three-tenths for all patients, and only two of 10 patients had measurements higher than 20%.
Conclusions:
This technique can be relied upon with the placement of implants to predict the outcome of the surgical procedure in terms of morphological changes in the facial soft tissues covering PSI polyether ether ketone. Therefore, it is possible to make a virtual design based on the cosmetic requirements of the patient.
