Accuracy of 3D printed guide for orbital implant

Purpose Extrinsic trauma to the orbit may cause a blowout or orbital fracture, which often requires surgery for reconstruction of the orbit and repositioning of the eyeball with an implant. Post-operative complications, however, are high with the most frequent cause of complications being a mismatch of the position and shape of the implant and fracture. These mismatches may be reduced by computed tomography (CT) based modeling and three-dimensional (3D) printed guide. Therefore, the aim of this study is to propose and evaluate a patient-specific guide to shape an orbital implant using 3D printing. Design/methodology/approach Using CT images of a patient, an orbital fracture can be modeled to design an implant guide for positioning and shaping of the surface and boundaries of the implant. The guide was manufactured using UV curable plastic at 0.032 mm resolution by a 3D printer. The accuracy of this method was evaluated by micro-CT scanning of the surgical guides and shaping implants. Findings The length and depth of the 3D model, press-compressed and decompressed implants were compared. The mean differences in length were 0.67 +/- 0.38 mm, 0.63 +/- 0.28 mm and 0.10 +/- 0.10 mm, and the mean differences in depth were 0.64 +/- 0.37 mm, 1.22 +/- 0.56 mm and 0.57 +/- 0.23 mm, respectively. Statistical evaluation was performed with a Bland-Altman plot. Originality/value This study suggests a patient-specific guide to shape an orbital implant using 3D printing and evaluate the guiding accuracy of the implant versus the planned model.