Clinical practice (Graz, Austria and Gießen, Germany)

This part of the book focuses on computer-aided maxillofacial surgery in the clinical practice and is written by the contributing authors of this chapter Juergen Wallner (j.wallner@medunigraz.at), Michael Schwaiger, Wolfgang Zemann (Graz, Austria), and Philipp Streckbein (Giesen, Germany). The content of the chapter is based on the clinical experience of the authors and on the present literature. Today, computer-aided procedures and technologies in oral and maxillofacial surgery are mainly used for a patient-specific approach, which means that these technologies are used to try to create a personal medical surgical treatment individually for each patient. In that context, the main computer-aided patient-specific approaches are (1) image-based virtual 3D surgical planning and 3D visualization (based on digital image scan files and algorithmic segmentation), (2) 3D printed models (polymer made based on digital image scan files by the support of 3D printers in-house or by the industry partner), (3) virtual planning and manufacturing of surgical cutting guides and splints (image scan based titanium or polymer made), and (4) virtual planning and manufacturing of patient-specific implants (titanium made). This chapter gives an outline of some currently common and routinely used computer-aided procedures and technologies in clinical oral and maxillofacial surgery and includes the connected basic and surrounding information, limitations, involved research topics, and future perspectives. The following subchapters are mainly referred to procedures that are common and relevant in Austria and Germany. Differences to other European countries may exist out of organization and/or financial reasons.