Contribution of 3D printing to mandibular reconstruction after cancer

Agnes Dupret-Bories (1) , Sebastien Vergez (1) , Thomas Meresse (1) , Fabien Brouillet (2) , Ghislaine Bertrand (2)

1 IUCT Oncopole - UMR 1037 - Institut Universitaire du Cancer de Toulouse - Oncopole
2 CIRIMAT - Centre interuniversitaire de recherche et d'ingenierie des matériaux

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is booming in the medical field. This technology increases the possibilities of personalized treatment for patients, while lowering manufacturing costs. To facilitate mandibular reconstruction with fibula free flap, some companies propose cutting guides obtained by CT-guided moulding. However, these guides are prohibitively expensive (€2,000 to €6,000). Based on a partnership with the CNRS, engineering students and a biomedical company, the authors have developed cutting guides and 3D-printed mandible templates, deliverable in 7days and at a lower cost. The novelty of this project is the speed of product development at a significantly lower price. In this technical note, the authors describe the logistic chain of production of mandible templates and cutting guides, as well as the results obtained. The goal is to allow access to this technology to all patients in the near future.

Mots clés: Cancer; Mandibular reconstruction; 3D printing; Surgical guides; Mandible template

Domaines: Médecine humaine et pathologie; Matériaux

Agnes Dupret-Bories, Sebastien Vergez, Thomas Meresse, Fabien Brouillet, Ghislaine Bertrand. Contribution of 3D printing to mandibular reconstruction after cancer. European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases, 2018, 135 (2), pp.133-136. ⟨10.1016/j.anorl.2017.09.007⟩. ⟨hal-02338495⟩