A comparative study on the customized design of mandibular reconstruction plates using finite element method

Mandible defects and its deformities are serious complications and its precise reconstruction is one of the most challenging tasks in oral maxillofacial surgery. The commercially available standard mandible implants are manually bended before surgery to custom fit the patient's jaw. A slight mismatch in the plate and bone alignment may result in the implant failure. However, with the integration of computer-aided design, rapid prototyping, and advanced imaging systems (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging), it is possible to produce a customized mandible implant that can precisely fit the patient's jaw. The aim of this article is to compare a new design of customized mandible implant (sinewave plate) and compare it with the commonly used straight implant design. The finite element-simulated results reveal that the commonly used straight reconstruction plates are more prone to loosening of the screws due to its higher strain concentration on the screw hole when compared to newly designed sinewave reconstruction plate. Moreover, the straight plate is more sensitive to the chewing load variations and develops almost 20% increase in the stresses when compared to sinewave plate. The study reveals that the sinewave reconstruction plate can significantly enhance the stability and safety of the mandible implant.