3-D Printing Sets Right Distorted Face from Motorcycle Crash

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3-D Printing Sets Right Distorted Face from Motorcycle Crash Motorcycle crashes are some of the most violent accidents.

Apart from the possibilities of serious and potentially lifethreatening injuries to the limbs and the spine, the head and the brain within are susceptible to fatal, near fatal or paralyzing injuries. The face too is under risk of disfiguration which may result in psychological and social issues which the individual could face, apart from physical concerns such as the loss of eyesight, teeth, breathing efficiency of the nose, etc. While wearing a helmet does reduce the chances of serious injury or death, it cannot prevent these things from happening.

Massive Facial Fractures One such motorcycle crash in the UK left a 29-year old rider with major facial injuries on the left side that seemed too severe to set right. He seemed destined to carry a face in which the right and left sides would appear totally different, with a sunken eye and cheek on the left side.

The September 2012 crash caused multiple fractures in his face – both the eye sockets, cheek bones, arms, upper jaw and right leg as well as the skull. The facial fractures were the ones most complicated to treat, though the limb injuries were also severe and needed trauma and orthopedic care as well as plastic surgery. The right leg demanded a bone graft.

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Eyesight Restored but Face Distorted The emergency surgery was conducted at Swansea and, considering the complexities of the injuries, surgeons did a pretty good job with his face though they could not comprehensively set right the left eye socket and cheek which were sunken when compared to the rest of the face.

The surgeons had managed to restore the patient’s face thus far and sight in both his eyes. They could not do more to set right his left eye because of fears that it would permanently affect his eyesight.

The patient’s face was distorted as a result and he went out only with goggles to mask the abnormal position of his eye and cheekbone. It caused him emotional distress and prevented him from fully enjoying moments of socializing.

That’s when 3-D printing came to the rescue.

The Miracle of 3-D Printing The procedure involved a virtual planning of the surgery, with the aim being to make the individual’s face symmetrical again. 3-D scanned images were taken of the face, and guides designed to cut the bones and re-position them. The 3-D images also helped to design the plates to hold the bones in place. The titanium implants and guides were then manufactured through 3-D printing. Thanks to the guides being produced at every stage of the surgery, custom implants could be 3-D printed. This amazing

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technology has taken the element of guesswork away, ensuring precision with the entire procedure.

The patient can now socialize and move around freely without having to wear sunglasses to mask any aberration.

The eye socket does not appear sunken though the eye is raised slightly which doctors say could get right in the months that follow. The cheekbone is also better placed.

Complicated procedures such as these demand innovation and intense focus from plastic surgeons and other medical professionals on the task at hand. Moreover, they would need copious documentation or medical transcription for archival purposes and future reference. Good documentation by Transcription by plastic surgeon is necessary.

Accurate documentation of complex maxillofacial reconstruction and other such surgical procedures is necessary to plan and carry out future procedures more quickly and efficiently.