Fiche publication
Date publication
novembre 2020
Journal
International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery
Auteurs
Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Pr MEYER Christophe
Tous les auteurs :
Louvrier A, Sigaux N, Meyer C, Benassarou M, Lutz JC
Lien Pubmed
Résumé
The advent of customized three-dimensional (3D) printing allows the affordable manufacturing of sophisticated medical devices, thereby providing swift and simple solutions to specific needs in modern healthcare. Meanwhile, certain devices such as industrial mandibular external fixators (EFs) have become less and less available from medical device companies because of decreased indications. What is more, their handling is often complex. The authors report, step by step, the original design and uneventful clinical use of a 3D-printed, customized mandibular EF. This device was designed together with a positioning and drilling guide for the fixation of a septic mandibular pseudarthrosis. It provided an adequate and satisfactory balance between lightness and rigidity. A simple, accurate and safe placement of the EF was achieved thanks to the skin-supported positioner and drilling guide, thereby making the procedure minimally invasive and time-efficient. To our knowledge, this is the first reported clinical use of a 3D-printed, customized mandibular EF to date. Because such 3D technology is becoming increasingly available to a large number of surgeons, the authors believe that the present innovation could become an alternative to reusable standard EFs.
Mots clés
3D printing, computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, external fixator
Référence
Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2020 11;49(11):1445-1448
