Review of the literature from 1991 to 2002 on the use of rapid prototyping in the biomedical area emphasizes the applicability of this technique to aid diagnosis and planning in Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology. A case report in which a TMJ ankylosis relapse was treated using rapid prototyping (selective laser sintering) for surgery planning is presented. After one year, the patient's buccal opening was 45 mm. Transitory paralysis of the facial nerve disappeared totally in six months.

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