Clinical study on precision repair of orbital fractures using 3D-printed orbital models assisting with absorbable plates.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the surgical precision and postoperative safety of 3D-printed patient-specific orbital model-assisted absorbable plate reconstruction for orbital wall fractures.

METHODS

The study included 94 orbital fracture patients divided into two groups: (1) 3D-assisted group (n = 44): treated with absorbable plate reconstruction assisted by 3D-printed orbital models.(2) Conventional group (n = 50): underwent standard absorbable plate reconstruction via traditional surgical approach. Postoperative evaluations at 6-11 months included standardized assessment of diplopia severity, ocular motility impairment, enophthalmos magnitude (Hertel exophthalmometry), and orbital volumetric restoration (CT-based segmentation analysis).

RESULTS

All patients achieved successful surgical outcomes with radiographic confirmation of anatomical reduction via postoperative CT. No cases exhibited postoperative complications including infection, implant displacement, or vision deterioration. Comparative analysis revealed both cohorts demonstrated statistically significant improvements in enophthalmos correction and orbital volume restoration compared to preoperative measurements (P < 0.001). The 3D-assisted group showed superior enophthalmos correction relative to conventional treatment (P = 0.014 < 0.05), along with greater orbital volume restoration (P = 0.008 < 0.05). Diplopia severity and ocular motility limitations were significantly ameliorated in both groups postoperatively (P < 0.001), with the 3D-assisted group achieving better diplopia resolution (P = 0.023 < 0.05) and ocular mobility restoration (P = 0.049 < 0.05) compared to the conventional group. Notably, the 3D-assisted procedure required significantly shorter operative duration than conventional methods (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The 3D-printed patient-specific orbital model-assisted absorbable plate reconstruction demonstrates superior clinical efficacy to conventional orbital fracture repair, providing precise anatomical restoration with enhanced enophthalmos correction and orbital volumetric accuracy. This technique significantly reduces operative time while achieving better functional outcomes in diplopia resolution and ocular motility recovery. The absence of implant-related complications confirms its procedural safety, establishing this modality as a valuable adjunct in orbital reconstruction surgery.