Utilization of desktop 3D printer-fabricated “Cost-Effective” 3D models in orthognathic surgery

Abstract

Background: In daily practice, three-dimensional patient-specific jawbone models (3D models) are a useful tool in surgical planning and simulation, resident training, patient education, and communication between the physicians in charge. The progressive improvements of the hardware and software have made it easy to obtain 3D models. Recently, in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, there are many reports on the benefits of 3D models. We introduced a desktop 3D printer in our department, and after a prolonged struggle, we successfully constructed an environment for the "in-house" fabrication of the previously outsourced 3D models that were initially outsourced. Through various efforts, it is now possible to supply inexpensive 3D models stably, and thus ensure safety and precision in surgeries. We report the cases in which inexpensive 3D models were used for orthodontic surgical simulation and discuss the surgical outcomes. Review: We explained the specific CT scanning considerations for 3D printing, 3D printing failures, and how to deal with them. We also used 3D models fabricated in our system to determine the contribution to the surgery. Based on the surgical outcomes of the two operators, we compared the operating time and the amount of bleeding for 25 patients who underwent surgery using a 3D model in preoperative simulations and 20 patients without using a 3D model. There was a statistically significant difference in the operating time between the two groups. Conclusions: In this article, we present, with surgical examples, our in-house practice of 3D simulation at low costs, the reality of 3D model fabrication, problems to be resolved, and some future prospects.

Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printing in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Problems and Solutions

“…Desktop FDM 3D printers, even if they are simply "personal" or "low-end," have significant advantages in their economics [ 7 , 17 , 18 ]. The "one-stop" 3D printing solution, where the whole process from STL model creation to 3D printing can be completed in-house, offers many advantages.…”

“…This lab can fabricate low-cost 3D models with short delivery times, without the need for specialized 3D printing labs or expert technicians. We have demonstrated that in orthognathic surgery, surgical simulation using fabricated osseous 3D models increases the surgeon's surgical certainty, decreases intraoperative blood loss, and shortens operative time [ 7 ]. These 3D models are produced with commercially available desktop fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers.…”

Evaluation of postoperative changes in condylar positions after orthognathic surgery using balanced orthognathic surgery system

“…Orthognathic surgical planning has improved with the development of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology [1][2][3][4]. Virtual surgical planning and rapid prototyping (RP) technology simulate various surgical plans and predict their outcomes using three-dimensional (3D) data for the dental arch and surrounding skeletal structures [1,5,6]. In orthognathic surgery, the planning time for virtual surgical planning is shorter than that for conventional surgical planning [7,8].…”

Application of Medical Imaging and 3D Printing Technology in Teaching the Handling of Novel Medicine in Periodontal Surgery

“…At our hospital, periodontal surgical training has traditionally provided the aid of ready-made, commercially available training models. Recent advances and the spread of three-dimensional (3D) imaging and 3D printing technologies have made such surgical training exercises more practical and cost-effective [2,3]. In this report, we present our lectures and surgical training with case-specific 3D models based on medical imaging technology for trainees learning periodontal tissue regeneration using FGF-2.…”