Assessing the accuracy of postoperative results of virtual planning of the surgical stage in the combined treatment of patients with gnathic forms of malocclusion

Purpose of the study. To improve the methods of preoperative planning of the surgical stage in the combined treatment of patients with jaw abnormalities using 3D technologies with subsequent assessment of the accuracy of the result obtained.
Material and methods. The study group included 90 patients with jaw malformations aged from 18 to 45 years. in the period from 2017 to 2021. Comprehensive examination, preoperative virtual planning, and combined treatment of the dentoalveolar abnormalities were performed in 45 female and 45 male patients. The patients were assigned into 3 equal groups of 30 subjects depending on the planning method. The quality of preoperative planning and postoperative results were assessed using 35 cephalometric measurements. Results. According to the results of calculating the absolute magnitude of planned and actual relocations, as well as the deviation of postoperative values from the plan for each of the 35 measurements, inconsistencies were revealed in 20 of 35 coordinates in the FIRST group. The SECOND group showed inconsistencies in only 4 of the 35 measurements. The THIRD group had discrepancies in 7 out of 35 measurements.
Conclusion. The development of digital technologies in medicine has generated a wide range of tools to improve the accuracy of surgical planning and visualization of expected changes in the patient. The use of three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques allows to combine information about the structure of the soft tissues of the face, facial skeleton, and dentition. Computer simulation of operations is becoming an increasingly important tool in the field of maxillofacial surgery, as it provides superior opportunities for preoperative planning and reduction of possible risks at all stages – before, during, and after surgery.
Key words: orthognathic surgery, virtual surgical planning, 3D analysis, CAD/CAM surgical splint, 3D-printed surgical splint
Conflicts of interest. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding. There was no funding for this study.