SARPE is commonly used for maxillary expansion in skeletal immature patients. However, asymmetric expansion has been reported with unknown etiologies. This study aims to develop a novel FEA model of SARPE that can truly mimic the clinical conditions, and to investigate the expansion patterns of the hemi-maxilla in all three dimensions.
Finite element analysis has been used in the dental and bioengineering field to allow in vitro simulation of surgeries, such as SARPE. In this study, four software were utilized to set up the FEA model and to predict expansion pattern. The most challenging part, which most previous studies link, is to simulate forces at the wound healing site across osteotomy surface.
To achieve this, springs were set in our pilot study and is considered a novel design for SARPE FEA. This unified element model focused on its patient patterns, making it more realistic SARPE simulation through osteotomy gap creation and experience inclusion. It presents significant potential as the clinical tool for branding and its guiding SARPE procedures.
Our interdisciplinary group will work diligently to develop cutting-edge 3D models that can provide valuable insights into personalized treatment strategies to analyze and improve orthognatic surgical technique by utilizing an engineering-assisted approach and to improve communication and collaboration between orthodontists and oral maxillofacial surgeons through engineering-assisted 3D imaging system.
