11h00 Reconstruction of Craniomaxillofacial Bone Defects with 3D- Printed Bioceramic Implants

Objective: bony defects in the craniomaxillofacial region can result in significant esthetic and functional problems. 3D-printed patient specific ceramic implants mimic human bone and have certain advantages in comparison to titanium implants. The ceramic implant has excellent osteoinductive, osteoconductive and angiogenic characteristics to achieve osteointegration. This presentation aims to highlight the potential and benefits of this new type of ceramic implants in craniomaxillofacial reconstruction surgery. In addition, the technical aspects and clinical application will be illustrated by clinical cases. Also new innovations in this topic will be discussed.

Materials and methods: the PubMed and Embase databases were searched for patients with craniomaxillofacial bone defects treated with bioceramic PSIs. Clinical outcomes such as biocompatibility, biomechanical properties, and aesthetics were evaluated and compared to those of commonly used titanium or poly-ether- ether-ketone (PEEK) implants and autologous bone grafts. Two clinical cases are presented to illustrate the surgical procedure and clinical outcomes of HA bioceramic PSIs.

Results: literature review showed better a biocompatibility of HA PSIs than titanium and PEEK. The initial biomechanical properties were inferior to those of autologous bone grafts, PEEK, and titanium but improved when integrated.

Conclusion: HA bioceramic PSIs have excellent biocompatible properties and imitate natural bone biomechanically and radiologically. They are a well-suited alternative for conventional biomaterials in the reconstruction of load-sharing bone defects in the craniomaxillofacial region.