title: Anatomical 3-dimensional pre-bent titanium implant for orbital floor fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This cadaver study evaluates the use of pre-bent 3-dimensional titanium mesh implants for orbital floor and medial wall reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonrandomized comparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight human cadaveric heads (n = 16 orbits).
  
  
  METHODS
  Transcutaneous incisions were used to expose both orbital floors in each cadaveric head. Unilateral orbital floor and medial wall fractures were generated in each specimen. The contralateral orbit remained uninjured. The fractures then were repaired with pre-bent titanium mesh fan plates molded from aluminum templates presenting different sizes. The templates were generated from topographical computed tomography (CT) data previously obtained from normal subjects. The accuracy of orbital reconstruction was evaluated with postoperative CT scans.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mean value of the distances between the implant and the bony orbit was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean distance between all 16 plates and their respective orbital floors/medial walls was 0.81+/-0.74 mm. Mean values were 0.68+/-0.63 mm for the unfractured side and 0.93+/-0.82 mm for the fractured side. No significant differences were found between orbits when evaluated for side of injury, gender, or size of defect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-bent 3-dimensional titanium mesh implants provide accurate reconstruction of orbital floor and medial orbital wall fractures. The mean implant error was <1 mm for all orbits studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schön
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weyer
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rafii
authors.forename: Nils-Claudius
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Gellrich
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmelzeisen
authors.forename: Bradley E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Strong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001860:Bone Plates; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D009915:Orbit / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009917:Orbital Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014025:Titanium; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014584:User-Computer Interface
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D014025:Titanium