Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2025
A Postoperative Evaluation Guideline for Computer-Assisted Reconstruction of the Mandible
Published on: January 28, 2020
Reliabilities of three methods used to evaluate computer-assisted mandibular reconstructions using free fibula flaps
Tingwei Bao1,2, Di Yu3, Wenyuan Zhu1,2
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 79# Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Objective:
This study compared the reliabilities of three different methods used to calculate surgical deviations after mandibular reconstructions using free fibular flaps.
Study Design:
This retrospective study involved 35 patients who underwent computer-assisted mandibular reconstructions using free fibula flaps. The deviations between the virtual surgical plans and the postoperative results were independently analyzed by two researchers using three distinct methods. In Method A, the fibular axis, the center of gravity, and the osteotomy plane served as landmarks when measuring surgical deviations. In Methods B and C, manually designated points were used to measure errors in the fibular length and intersegmental angle. The primary outcome variables were the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) that revealed the inter-rater agreements for all three methods.
Results:
The use of Method A was associated with good agreement in terms of the fibular length deviation (ICC = 0.765) and intersegmental angle (ICC = 0.897); both were higher than those afforded by Methods B (ICC = 0.158 and 0.108) and C (ICC = 0.406 and 0.463). The measurements of the fibular transfer osteotomy deviation (ICC = 0.888), linear deviation (0.926), and angular deviation (0.958) were very reliable.
Conclusions:
Method A afforded the highest reliability in clinical practice when evaluating surgical deviations after mandibular reconstruction using fibular flaps.
