Case Study: European Face Centre achieves precise jaw-angle reconstruction with Materialise PROPLAN CMF and custom 3D-printed implants

Revolutionizing Jaw Angle Surgery with 3D Planning and Custom Implant Design

The European Face Centre, led by Professor Mommaerts, treated a teenage girl with hemifacial microsomia who had a complex, residual jaw angle defect that could not be corrected by skeletal surgery alone. To plan a predictable, anatomically accurate reconstruction and avoid the known limitations of alternatives (hydroxyapatite, polyethylene), the team used Materialise’s PROPLAN CMF® and 3-matic® software from the Mimics Innovation Suite to design a patient-specific solution.

Using Materialise software, the team created a 3D CT model, mirrored the healthy side, and designed a custom implant with pre-positioned screw holes that accounted for the inferior alveolar and facial nerve anatomy; the final STL files were 3D printed in implantable titanium and inserted transorally. Materialise’s workflow produced an unambiguous fit, greatly reduced operating time, and avoided nerve damage, resulting in successful bone-angle reconstruction (with planned follow-up soft-tissue and ear procedures).