Rebuild, Restore, Reconstruct – An Improved Method for Craniomaxillo Facial Surgery

A novel software system for improved facial reconstruction

Patients suffering from skull deformities, which could be caused by congenital abnormalities, trauma or illness, require craniomaxillofacial surgery.  These surgeries are extremely difficult because skull features (including facial structure) and the severity of the deformity vary considerably across individuals. Furthermore, several surgical procedures may be required, to correct issues with the head, skull, face and neck. Because of this, craniomaxillofacial surgeries must be well-planned in advance.

To do this, typically, surgeons use a series of computer-aided techniques to guide the reconstruction process.  Reconstruction could be based on symmetry (by observing how the undamaged side of the face/skull appears) or using statistical models to generate a likely average appearance. Symmetry-based methods will not work well should both sides of the skull be defective and statistical models may not be relevant enough to suit the individual’s age, race or gender.

Furthermore, none of the currently-available computer systems can quickly and accurately generate a 3D image of a normal skull based on a deformed skull. Such a system would be instrumental in helping surgeons to visually reconstruct the undamaged skull and face rapidly and accurately.