A soft tissue-sparing positioning guide for the DCIA flap in mandibular reconstruction: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Precise bone graft placement is crucial for mandibular reconstruction outcomes.
• Conventional guides increase surgical trauma by requiring extensive soft tissue stripping.
• A novel soft tissue-sparing positioning guide was developed to mitigate this issue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and preliminary clinical performance of a novel soft tissue-sparing positioning guide.
• To evaluate the guide's ability to facilitate precise bone graft placement while minimizing surgical trauma in mandibular reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• A single-arm, five-patient case series utilizing patient-specific, 3D-printed guides.
• Virtual surgical planning based on CT data.
• Evaluation via serial imaging and 3D deviation analysis of anatomical landmarks.

Main Results:

• All patients completed surgery without major complications; minor morbidity was transient.
• The guide effectively preserved soft tissues around the bone graft.
• Quantitative 3D analysis confirmed satisfactory postoperative mandibular alignment.

Conclusions:

• The soft tissue-sparing positioning guide is a feasible adjunct for mandibular reconstruction.
• Preliminary results suggest improved soft tissue preservation and accurate graft placement.
• Further validation in larger, controlled studies is recommended.