Surgical plates have been extensively used in head and neck reconstruction and conventional plates are mass-produced with universal configurations. To overcome disadvantages of conventional surgical plates, we have been exploring patient-specific surgical plates using the three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. We hypothesized that the application of 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates in head and neck reconstruction is feasible, safe and precise. We are conducting a prospective clinical trial to assess the feasibility, safety and accuracy of applying 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates in head and neck reconstruction. The primary endpoint was the intraoperative success rate. Secondary endpoints included the incidence and severity of postoperative adverse events within six months postoperatively. The accuracy of surgical outcomes was also explored by comparing the planned and final positions of the maxilla, mandible and grafted bone segments. From December 2016 to October 2017, ten patients were enrolled and underwent head and neck reconstruction using 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates. The patient-specific surgical plates adapted to bone surface precisely and no plate-bending was performed. The intraoperative success rate was 100%. The average follow-up period was 6.5 months. No major adverse events were observed. The mean absolute distance deviation of integral mandible or maxilla was 1.40 ± 0.63 mm, which showed a high accuracy of reconstruction. The 3D printing of patient-specific surgical plates could be effective in head and neck reconstruction. Surgical procedures were simplified. The precise jaw reconstruction was achieved with high accuracy. Long-term results with a larger sample size are warranted to support a final conclusion. The study protocol has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with a No. of NCT03057223.

Background: Computer-assisted mandibular reconstruction facilitates preoperative surgery simulation and transfers the virtual plan to a real operation. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the accuracy, efficiency, postoperative complications, and economic viability between computer-assisted mandibular reconstruction and conventional freehand mandibular reconstruction. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were searched up to November of 2018. The accuracy, efficiency, postoperative complications, and economic viability of computer-assisted mandibular reconstruction compared to conventional freehand mandibular reconstruction were systematically reviewed. Continuous and dichotomous data were pooled in mean difference (or standardized mean difference if necessary) and odds ratio, subsequently, with 95 percent confidence interval. Results: A total of 12 studies were included in the systematic review, and data extracted from 11 of them were combined in meta-analysis. The accuracy of computer-assisted mandibular reconstruction was better than or equal to that of conventional freehand mandibular reconstruction according to qualitative analysis, although the quantitative comparison from meta-analysis was excluded because of the diversity of measurements. As for efficiency, computer-assisted mandibular reconstruction, when compared to conventional freehand mandibular reconstruction, revealed a shorter ischemic time, reconstructive time, total operative time, and length of stay. There was no difference in postoperative complication rate. Conclusions: Computer-assisted mandibular reconstruction showed increased efficiency considering the reduced ischemic time, total operative time, reconstructive time, and length of stay. However, the accuracy, reconstruction outcomes, and perioperative cost should be further elucidated because of diverse measurements and the lack of included studies.

Background: Surgeons are pursuing accurate head and neck reconstruction to enhance aesthetic and functional outcomes after oncologic resection. This study aimed to investigate whether accuracy of head and neck reconstruction is improved with the use of three-dimensionally (3D)-printed patient-specific surgical plates compared with conventional plates. Methods: In this comparative study, patients were prospectively recruited into the study group (3DJP16) with 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates. The patients in control group with conventional surgical plates were from a historic cohort in the same unit. The primary end point of the study was the accuracy of head and neck reconstruction. The secondary end points were accuracy of osteotomy, intraoperative blood loss, total operative time, and length of hospital stay. Results: The study recruited of 33 patients, including 17 in the study group and 16 in the control group. The patients’ baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. The absolute distance deviation of the maxilla or mandible was 1.5 ± 0.5 mm in the study group and 2.1 ± 0.7 mm in the control group [mean difference, − 0.7 mm; 95% confidence interval (CI) − 1.1 to − 0.3; p = 0.003], showing superior accuracy of reconstruction for the patients with 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates. Improved accuracy of reconstruction also was detected in terms of bilateral mandibular angles and bone grafts. Concerning the secondary end points, the accuracy of the osteotomy was similar in the two groups. No difference was found regarding intraoperative blood loss, total operative time, or length of hospital stay. Conclusions: This is the first study to prove that compared with conventional plates, 3D-printed patient-specific surgical plates improve the accuracy of oncologic head and neck reconstruction.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is characterized by slow growth, frequent local recurrences, and high incidence of distant metastasis (DM). The aim of this study was to evaluate predictive factors for local-regional (LR) recurrence, DM, and survival in ACC. A retrospective review of the medical records for patients with salivary glands ACC from 1990 to 2015 was performed. The clinical parameters were assessed to identify correlations with the development of LR recurrence, DM, and survival of these patients. Among 228 patients who underwent surgery as definitive treatment, 210 (92.1%) were followed up in the study. DM was detected in 64 (30.5%) patients, LR recurrence was detected in 58 (27.6%) patients. The estimated 5, 10, and 15-year overall survival rates were 84.7%, 70.8%, and 34.0%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of lymphovascular invasion and a high T classification were very strong adverse factors, which independently influenced LR recurrence, DM, and survival of ACC patients. Positive/close margin and N+ status were independent risk factors for DM and LR recurrence, respectively. Survival of ACC patents was also affected by tumor location. Presence of lymphovascular invasion and a high T classification were very strong adverse factors and independent predictors for ACC patients’ prognosis, which influenced LR control, DM control, and survival.