Virtual Planning and 3D Printing in Mandibular Fractures
摘要
Mandibular fractures account for a broad part of traumatic injuries to the craniofacial skeleton. Any traumatic injury to the mandible should always be defined as possibly occlusion-impairing. The intraoperative reduction of mandibular fractures is strictly dependent on the fracture pattern, and thus a classification is mandatory, from single, linear fractures to comminuted fractures that require the replacement of a mandibular segment. Virtual surgical planning is essential to establish the correct order of reduction maneuvers and to establish correct facial proportions, and it should always start from the definition of the correct surgical occlusion, assessed by physical intercuspation of 3D printed intraoral scans. While image-guided surgery does not play a significant role in mandibular fractures, occlusal splints and occlusal aligners modelled on the predicted virtual reduction provide a substantial help in creating automation of surgical procedures. This chapter combines current knowledge and experience with innovations for the most effective and reliable treatment of mandibular fractures.