"One-piece" patient-specific reconstruction plate for double-barrel fibula-based mandibular reconstruction.
W F Yang, W S Choi, W Y Zhu, Y X Su
Author Information
W F Yang: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
W S Choi: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
W Y Zhu: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Y X Su: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. Electronic address: richsu@hku.hk.
Segmental mandibular defects require reconstruction. The fibula flap serves as a versatile flap in restoring mandibular contour and bony height. With the advances in computer-aided design and additive manufacturing technology, an innovative "one-piece" patient-specific reconstruction plate to facilitate double-barrel fibula flap shaping and bone securing was developed; the plate is described in this study. The "one-piece" plate is fabricated with individualized specifications and is mainly composed of three components: the long-bar reconstruction plate, a short-bar plate, and connecting bars. Our initial experiences showed that mandibular reconstructive surgery was greatly facilitated by the "one-piece" reconstruction plate for double-barrel fibula flap reconstruction and achieved satisfactory outcomes. A well-designed clinical trial is required to confirm the superiority of the "one-piece" reconstruction plate in the future. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03057223.
