Interactive Planning of Miniplates

In this contribution, a novel method for computer aided surgery planning of facial defects by using models of purchasable MedArtis Modus 2.0 miniplates is proposed. Implants of this kind, which belong to the osteosynthetic material, are commonly used for treating defects in the facial area. By placing them perpendicular on the defect, the miniplates are fixed on the healthy bone, bent with respect to the surface, to stabilize the defective area. Our software is able to fit a selection of the most common implant models to the surgeon's desired position in a 3D computer model. The fitting respects the local surface curvature and adjusts direction and position in any desired way. Conventional methods use Computed Tomography (CT) scans to generate STereoLithic (STL) models serving as bending template for the implants or use a bending tool during the surgery for readjusting the implant several times. Both approaches lead to undesirable expenses in time. With our visual planning tool, surgeons are able to pre-plan the final implant within just a few minutes. The resulting model can be stored in STL format, which is the commonly used format for 3D printing. With this technology, surgeons are able to print the implant just in time or use it for generating a bending tool, both leading to an exactly bent miniplate.