3D Printing in Maxillofacial Surgery

Abstract

Maxillofacial surgery was among the first to understand the potential of rapid prototyping and three-dimensional printing as an aid in the preparation and execution of surgery. The reasons are to be found in the fact that, especially in the early years of the development of this technology, both the hardware and the software were more easily able to manage digital information regarding bones compared to soft tissues. Since the beginning of three-dimensional printing, it has been easier to prepare models for bones, materials such as ABS were rigid and robust, perfect for simulating bone, much less for reproducing cartilage or muscle.