CAD-CAM implants in esthetic and reconstructive craniofacial surgery

Abstract

In the reconstruction of complex craniofacial malformations CAD-CAM procedures could help generating alloplastic implants to achieve almost optimal esthetic results. Complementary to the existing CAD-CAMtechniques in the cranial vault region or modeling procedures in unilateral defects, these techniques are introduced to bilaterally affected skulls in esthetic reconstructive surgery. Surgery could thus become less invasive and results more predictable. A tool chain is shown to generate such implants on scientific basis. 3D cephalometric analysis is performed and the implants are designed according to the individual pathology. Besides the planning of implants on the basis of 3D-landmarks, future implant design is supposed to be performed with the help of a craniofacial library taken from CT-scans of unaffected skulls.