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Contact Area Between 3D-Printed Silicone Implant and Nasal Bone as a Predictive Factor for Implant Deviation
Yim Don Choi1, Yean Su Choi2, Dong Yun Hyun3
1AND Plastic Surgery Clinic, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Background:
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is actively applied in rhinoplasty procedures. The use of 3D-printed silicone implants facilitates success in surgery, even when the surgeon lacks experience. However, in some cases, deviation or displacement of 3D-printed silicone implants can occur even without postoperative septal and tip deviation.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore factors influencing the deviation of 3D-printed silicone implants.
Methods:
We identified 293 patients (55 males, 238 females) who underwent rhinoplasty and retrospectively reviewed their operative records and facial computed tomography images. The incidence of deviation when using 3D-printed silicone implants was investigated. Various factors influencing the deviation of 3D-printed silicone implants were examined. The contact area was calculated using a 3D surface meshing approach.
Results:
Deviation of 3D-printed silicone implants occurred in 23.55% of patients (females, 23.53%; males, 23.64%), with nine (3.07%) undergoing revision surgery due to complaints about postoperative nose deformity caused by this deviation. Among variables studied in the male and female groups, only the contact area between the nasal bone and 3D-printed silicone implant was a significant factor in determining deviation. The optimal cutoff values of the contact area in the male and female groups were 295.71 mm2 and 256.58 mm2, respectively. The average cutoff values of the contact area differed between the no-deviation and deviation groups but were similar among the mild, moderate, and severe deviation groups.
Conclusion:
The contact area between the nasal bone and 3D-printed silicone implant is a predictive factor for implant deviation in rhinoplasty procedures using 3D-printed silicone implants.
Level Of Evidence Iii:
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
