ARTHUR – POCI-01-0247-FEDER-039690 - 3DDentofacial Surgery Full Planning

Overview

Project Summary

The success of facial surgery depends on the surgical technique and the precision of the surgical plan. However, despite the technical and technological evolution of approaches to head, face and neck surgery, the calculation of the impact of the surgical technique on the bone and the individual's facial mask is still carried out empirically. Given the existing limitations in terms of tools for planning facial reconstructive surgery, the project seeks to develop an innovative platform capable of simulating and predicting the final outcome of this type of intervention. It is a virtual tool designed to help healthcare professionals with surgical planning, which will allow them to compare (determine) the final appearance of the patient's face in the light of the various surgical options available. Using graphic processing, 3D modelling and computer vision techniques, based on simulation models of biological behaviour, it is proposed to develop three-dimensional visualisation software capable of assessing the real impact on the patient's facial mask of possible millimetre changes to bone structure and teeth. This relationship is intended to provide the doctor with a tool that allows him to plan all the intervention to be carried out on the deformed rigid structure, visualising, with total realism and in real time, how the face mask will behave.

Main Goals

The aim is to apply the tool under development to two types of use cases:

Congenital disfigurement. In the first phase, it is intended to be applied to situations resulting from congenital bone malformations, which, being situations that are already born or develop in the individual, the reconstructive simulation has no reference base. These are situations where, although the bone tissue is deformed, it is stable and healthy. The aim is to find the best aesthetic result while guaranteeing a functional outcome. Some examples of situations to apply are: dentofacial dysmorphosis, cleft palate, Pierre Robin Syndrome and Treacher Collins Syndrome or Crouzon's Disease (Craniofacial Dystrosis) and other congenital facial malformations with altered skeletal bones. 
Acquired Disfigurement. The second use case relates to external situations that lead to facial deformation, such as oral cancer with bone involvement or the need for bone excision to stage the oral tumour, and episodes that may cause some kind of injury (road accidents, etc.) that affect the bone structure. These are situations in which the bone tissue is not only deformed but also unstable and in the process of recovery, so it will be necessary to analyse other indicators in order to predict the impact. For this use case, if there is a reference base, the aim is to guarantee the internal functionality (bone, teeth, etc.) and obtain the aesthetic result that most closely matches the physiognomy of the individual before the event.

Project Details