Jaw reconstruction with printed titanium and free-transfer (JaW PrinT): an update

When compared to intraoperative plate bending, a mandibular reconstruction plate pre-bent to a digitally designed physical stereolithographic model improves accuracy and efficiency in mandibular reconstruction (Gil et al., 2015). Nevertheless, this type of crude customisation’ still remains open to considerable inaccuracies/human error and risks introducing mechanical stresses into and ultimately premature mechanical failure of the plate. It has been proposed that 3D-printed (additively-manufactured) mandibular reconstruction plates further reduce the duration of surgery and frequency of complications, as well as producing a more accurate reconstruction due to the elimination of human error in the final stages of fabrication (in contrast to pre-bent plates) (Tarsitano et al., 2016). With a lack of high-level evidence to date, any ability of 3D-printed plates to improve functional outcomes for head and neck cancer patients undergoing mandibulectomy needs to be quantified. JaW PrinT is a NIHR-registered portfolio study aiming to provide pilot data for this purpose.