Abstract
Patients with oral cancer often have to undergo the surgery for mandibular excision. Once the bone in the cancerous area is removed, not only the facial area but also chewing function of the patient is needed to be repaired by clinicians. In recent years, the rapid growth of three-dimensional (3D) metal printing technology has meant that higher-quality facial reconstructions are now possible, which could even restore chewing function. This study developed 3D-printed titanium (Ti)-alloy reconstruction implant for a prosthesis designed for mandibular segmental osteotomy defects, and 3D finite element (FE) analysis was conducted to evaluate its biomechanical performance. The analyzed parameters in the FE models were as follows: (1) two prosthesis designs, namely a prosthesis retaining the residual mandibular bone (for patients with mild oral cancer) and a prosthesis with complete mandibular resection (for patients with severe oral cancer); (2) two lengths of prosthesis, namely 20 and 25 mm; and (3) three thicknesses of prosthesis, namely 0.8, 1, and 1.5 mm. A 45° lateral bite force (100 N) was applied to the top of the prosthesis as the loading condition. The results revealed that for the two prosthesis designs, the prosthesis retaining the residual mandibular bone showed higher stress on the prosthesis and cortical bone compared with the prosthesis with complete mandibular resection. Regarding the two prosthesis lengths, no fixed trend of prosthesis stress was found, but stress in the cortical bone was relatively high for a prosthesis length of 20 mm compared with that of 25 mm. For the three prosthesis thicknesses, as the thickness of the prosthesis decreased, the stress in the prosthesis decreased but the stress in the cortical bone increased. These findings require confirmation in future clinical investigations.
Highlights
The mandible is the only bone of the human body that is bilaterally mobile, which means it is especially complex in terms of both structure and function
The properties of the materials used in this study were specified with reference to relevant studies and technical reports [16,17]
The boundary conditions were as illustrated in Figure 4b; the X, Y, and Z direction of the temporomandibular joint surface were fixed [15]
Summary
The mandible is the only bone of the human body that is bilaterally mobile, which means it is especially complex in terms of both structure and function. The mandible controls mastication and determines occlusion, and it has a substantial influence on human facial aesthetics, swallowing, and speech. One of the most commonly used clinical restorative methods is autograft, which can be further divided into nonvascularized bone flap graft and vascularized bone flap graft [1]. Both methods require the surgeon to sculpt the bone block manually before later transplanting the sculpted bone block into the patient’s oral cavity. In addition to prolonging the operative time, the complicated operative techniques involved in these two methods pose challenges for achieving ideal facial aesthetic results [2,3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
