The first complete jaw replacement has been performed using splints manufactured on a 3D printer.

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at the University Hospital of Toledo has performed the first complete jaw joint replacement (temporomandibular joint, or TMJ) on a 42-year-old patient with a benign but aggressive tumor.

Dr. Ignacio Heras Rincón, a maxillofacial surgeon at the University Hospital of Toledo, noted that this type of procedure is usually reserved for very advanced cases of TMJ dysfunction or osteoarthritis, but on this occasion it was performed on a young patient with a benign, aggressive tumor known as a keratocyst, who had previously undergone surgery three times.

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Dr. Heras Rincón added that the lesion was pushing and weakening the cortical bone, extending toward the base of the skull and mandibular condyle. The size, difficult-to-reach location, and need for a definitive solution in a young patient led the surgical team to opt for replacing the entire TMJ with a prosthesis.

Prosthesis with all the necessary information

After performing a scan, the regional government reports, prostheses were designed that included all the necessary information for tumor resection and the holes for attaching the prosthesis components and remodeling the bone surfaces to properly accommodate the implant's placement and osseointegration.

After virtual planning, together with the bioengineer, the splints were manufactured using a 3D printer. They fit perfectly to the patient's bone anatomy, ensuring adequate tumor resection and optimal placement while reducing surgical time and associated morbidity.

For this complex procedure, the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery team at the University Hospital of Toledo, led by Dr. Roberto Martín Sastre, collaborated with Dr. Miguel Morey, a distinguished oral and maxillofacial surgeon with more than 20 years of experience in his specialty.

Two months after surgery, the patient has an oral opening of about 25 millimeters , is tumor-free, has no complications, and is undergoing rehabilitation treatment.