Robot-guided osteotomy in fibula free flap mandibular reconstruction: a preclinical study

Abstract

Various methods currently exist to guide fibular osteotomy positioning in fibula free flap mandibular reconstruction, but patient-specific navigation methods and cutting guides require experience, and may be time-consuming and/or expensive. This study describes a robot-guided osteotomy technique for mandible reconstruction using a fibula free flap according to virtual preoperative planning. The method was assessed on five 3D-printed models and a cadaveric model. The precision of the robot-guided osteotomy was evaluated by measuring the deviations between the lengths and angles of the fragments obtained and those of the virtual planning. The average deviation of the anterior and posterior crest lengths was 0.42 ± 0.29 mm for the 3D-printed models and 1.00 ± 0.53 mm for the cadaveric model. The average angle deviation was 1.90 ± 1.22° and 1.94 ± 0.69° for the 3D-printed and cadaveric models, respectively. The results of this preclinical study revealed that fibular osteotomy positioning guidance using a robot-positioned cutting guide may be a precise, easy-to-use technique that could be tailored for fibula free flap mandibular reconstruction.