The usefulness of stereomodels in maxillofacial surgical management.
OBJECTIVE
This retrospective study aimed to determine the usefulness of stereomodels in various maxillofacial surgical treatments.


METHODS
A total of 45 stereomodels were evaluated in terms of usefulness from questionnaires completed by 4 groups of subjects: surgeons, postgraduate students, technicians, and patients. These models were categorized into 4 treatment groups: distraction osteogenesis, reconstruction, pathology, and trauma management. The scores of each category were computed and compared among the treatment groups.


RESULTS
The stereomodels in this study were used mainly for distraction osteogenesis (53.3%, 24/45 models) and reconstructive surgery (33.3%, 15/45 models). The total mean scores (with 10 being the top score) from the different subjects' assessments were 8.18 by surgeons, 7.80 by postgraduate students, 5.90 by technicians, and 7.70 by patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Stereomodels were found by the group subjects to be very useful, particularly for treatment planning and patient communication, as a teaching tool for students, and for prosthesis fabrication.
Chow
Lop Keung
LK
Discipline of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. lkchow@hkucc.hku.hk
Cheung
Lim Kwong
LK
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D003142:Communication; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008446:Maxillofacial Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012886:Skull / Q000601:surgery*; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000193:education; D013664:Teaching Materials; D013674:Technology, Dental