USE OF A COMPUTER NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR OSTEOTOMIES IN THE ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY: TECHNICAL NOTE

ABSTRACT

Surgery with the computer navigation system can make it possible to identify important anatomical structures which are difficult to be confirmed with the naked eye in the operation, and has extended their applications in various surgical fields. The head and neck surgery especially requires detailed anatomical knowledges and these knowledges have influences on postoperative functions and esthetics of a patient. In the orthognathic surgery, we should take osteotomies in the precise locations of the jawbones and move segments to the intended positions. There are so many important anatomical structures around the osteotomy-sites in the orthognathic surgery that the prevention of damage to these structures to obtain satisfactory results without any complication. There are vessels of the pterygoid plexus posterior to the pterygoid plate in the maxilla and the mandibular nerve enters the mandibluar foramen in the mandibular ramus. These locations should be confirmed perioperatively to avoid any injury to these structures. The navigation-assisted surgery may be helpful for this purpose. We performed navigational orthognathic surgeries with preoperative CT images and obtained satisfactory results. The osteotomy was performed in the proper location and damaging the surrounding important anatomical structures was avoided by keeping the saw away from them with the real-time navigation. It may be required to develop proper devices and protocols for the navigation-assisted orthognathic surgery.