Patient- and clinician-reported outcomes of lower jaw contouring using patient-specific 3D-printed titanium implants

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to assess patient-reported outcomes of jawline contouring with patient-specific three-dimensional (3D) -printed titanium alloy implants using validated Face-Q questionnaires. Four FACE-Q questionnaires (Appearance Appraisal Scale, Quality of Life Scales for Psychological and Social Function, and Adverse Effects Scale) were sent to 21 patients consecutively operated on by the same surgeon between 2014 and 2019. Thirteen patients responded. Mean Rasch Transformed Scores for Satisfaction, Psychological Function and Social Function (0–100) were 70.6, 73.2, and 71.1, respectively. These values are difficult to interpret, however, as comparative literature and prospective follow-up scores are lacking. The second objective was to correlate clinician-reported morphology improvement by panel scoring (Likert scale) with patient-reported appearance appraisal. As for satisfaction, we can conclude that an objective acceptable result does not corroborate patients’ perceptions (Spearman Rho test rs = -0.021). Psychological factors and results from previous surgeries probably modulate patients’ views. The mean score for the Adverse Effect Scale (15–45) was low (18.6), indicating that the intraoral drop-in fit of customized titanium implants does not cause major side effects.