Robotic-controlled laser osteotome versus manually controlled osteotomy for interdental osteotomies: a cadaveric...

Area of Science:

• Maxillofacial Surgery
• Robotic Surgery
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Orthognathic surgery aims to correct jaw discrepancies.
• Interdental osteotomies are crucial for maxillary segmentation.
• Current methods face challenges in accuracy and reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of the cold ablation robot-guided laser osteotome (CARLO) for interdental osteotomies.
• To compare CARLO's precision against traditional piezoelectric saw techniques.
• To assess CARLO's potential in improving virtual preoperative planning and execution in orthognathic surgery.

Main Methods:

• Ten fresh frozen human cadaveric heads were used for virtual planning.
• Interdental osteotomies were virtually planned between lateral incisors and canines.
• CARLO performed osteotomies on one side, while surgeons used piezoelectric saws on the contralateral side.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in axial distance or coronal angular deviations were found between CARLO and manual methods.
• CARLO demonstrated significantly superior accuracy in maintaining planned axial angulation (P = 0.025).
• Deviations in CARLO were noted, potentially due to calibration issues, indicating a need for further refinement.

Conclusions:

• CARLO shows potential for enhancing accuracy in orthognathic surgery, particularly in axial angulation.
• Further technological advancements and calibration refinement are necessary for widespread clinical adoption.
• Robot-assisted surgery, potentially through collaborative approaches, could significantly improve precision in maxillofacial procedures.