Reconstruction of Mandibular Contour Using Individualized High-Density Porous Polyethylene (Medpor ® ) Implants Under the Guidance of Virtual Surgical Planning and 3D-Printed Surgical Templates.

BACKGROUND: The mandibular contour plays a significant role in the beautiful and youthful look but the reconstruction remains a challenging problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of individualized high-density porous polyethylene (Medpor® ) implants for comprehensive reconstruction of mandibular contour with the aid of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM).

METHODS: From 2010 to 2014, 12 patients with mandibular contour deformities were enrolled in our retrospective study. Mandible models and individualized surgical templates were fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) printing and Medpor® implants were made according to the surgical templates. The Medpor® implants were used for both unilateral and bilateral mandibular contour deformities. In four cases, simultaneous mandibular orthognathic surgery was performed with unilateral mandibular contour reconstruction.

RESULTS: Eleven patients had a reposeful postoperative recovery with no complication. Delayed infection was shown in one patient and the Medpor® implant was removed. All the 11 patients had the mandibular contour reconstructed satisfactorily.

CONCLUSION: The technique and cases presented demonstrate the utility of Medpor® implants with CAD/CAM in comprehensive mandibular contour reconstruction.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .