Computer‐guided core needle biopsy of the jaws: A technical report

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to communicate the use of cone beamcomputed tomography (CBCT) and digital surgery planning software for the fabrication of high-precision surgical guides to perform core needle biopsy of intraosseous lesions in the jaws.Methods: Digital preoperative surgical planning software originally designed for dental implant surgery and CBCT images were used to fabricate a patient-specific stereolithographic surgical guide to perform a core needle biopsy of a mixed osteolytic lesion in the mandible in a 20-year-old patient. The core needle biopsy was performed in an outpatient setting under local anaesthesia. Results:The surgical guide for core needle biopsy fabricated using CBCT images and dental implant software allowed obtaining a tissue sample of an intraosseous lesion, while providing control of the positioning, angulation, and depth of the needle, and minimizing the risk of damaging neighboring structures.Conclusions: CBCT and digital preoperative surgical planning software are useful to fabricate high precision surgical guides to perform core needle biopsy, and they allow correcting errors and solving problems that may arise during the surgery. It is necessary to perform the procedure on a cohort of patients in order to validate the method.