Clinical Evaluation of Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Titanium Implants for Facial Reconstruction. (3DFACE)

June 11, 2026 updated by: Tishreen University

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Titanium Facial Implants in the Reconstruction and Aesthetic Correction of Facial Defects: A Clinical Study

This clinical study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of patient-specific 3D-printed titanium facial implants in the reconstruction and aesthetic correction of facial defects. The study will include patients presenting with congenital, traumatic, or post-surgical facial deformities requiring reconstructive intervention.

Eligible participants will undergo preoperative clinical assessment and radiological imaging to design customized implants using computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D printing technology. The implants will be fabricated from medical-grade titanium and surgically placed according to standardized maxillofacial reconstructive protocols.

Postoperative follow-up will assess functional outcomes, implant stability, complication rates, and aesthetic improvement over a defined observation period. Outcome evaluation will include clinical examination and patient-reported satisfaction measures.

The objective of this study is to determine whether patient-specific 3D-printed titanium implants provide reliable functional restoration and improved aesthetic outcomes in facial reconstruction compared to conventional reconstructive techniques.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background:

Facial bone defects and contour deformities may result from congenital anomalies, trauma, tumor resection, cystic lesions, or developmental deficiencies. Conventional reconstructive techniques often rely on standard implants or intraoperative modification of grafts, which may not provide optimal anatomical adaptation or aesthetic outcomes.

Recent advances in three-dimensional (3D) imaging, computer-aided design (CAD), and additive manufacturing technologies have enabled the production of patient-specific titanium implants tailored to the unique anatomy of individual patients. These implants may improve surgical precision, reduce operative time, enhance facial symmetry, and provide more predictable functional and aesthetic outcomes.

Objective:

This clinical study aims to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and clinical performance of patient-specific 3D-printed titanium facial implants in the reconstruction and aesthetic correction of facial defects.

Methods:

Eligible adult patients presenting with facial bone defects, facial asymmetry, congenital deformities, post-traumatic defects, or aesthetic indications requiring customized facial augmentation will undergo preoperative imaging using computed tomography (CT). Patient-specific titanium implants will be designed using computer-aided design software and manufactured using 3D-printing technology.

Clinical evaluation will include assessment of implant fit accuracy, facial symmetry, aesthetic outcomes, postoperative complications, patient satisfaction, and overall treatment success. Follow-up assessments will be performed at regular intervals for up to 12 months after surgery.

Expected Outcomes:

The study is expected to demonstrate that patient-specific 3D-printed titanium implants provide accurate anatomical reconstruction, improved facial aesthetics, high patient satisfaction, and acceptable safety profiles when used for facial reconstruction and contour correction.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 years or older.
  • Presence of facial bone defects resulting from cystic or tumoral osteolytic lesions.
  • Acquired or congenital facial deformities associated with bony defects or facial asymmetry.
  • Patients requiring patient-specific 3D-printed titanium implants for maxillofacial reconstruction.
  • Aesthetic indications requiring custom facial implant design, including microgenia (chin retrusion).
  • Ability to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Active pathological lesions at the time of enrollment.
  • Age below 18 years.
  • History of radiotherapy within 12 months prior to enrollment.
  • Chronic untreated vitamin D deficiency.
  • Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.
  • Inability or unwillingness to comply with follow-up requirements.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Titanium Implant Reconstruction Group

Participants in this study will undergo reconstruction of facial defects using patient-specific three-dimensional (3D)-printed titanium implants. Preoperative planning will be performed using clinical assessment and high-resolution radiographic imaging to design customized implants tailored to each patient's anatomical defect. The implants will be fabricated from medical-grade titanium using additive manufacturing technology.

Surgical reconstruction will be performed under standard maxillofacial surgical protocols. The customized titanium implants will be positioned and fixed to restore both functional integrity and facial aesthetics. Postoperative follow-up will include clinical evaluation, radiographic assessment, and monitoring for complications, implant stability, and aesthetic outcomes over the defined study period.
Procedure: Patient-specific titanium implants for facial reconstruction

Patient-specific 3D-printed titanium implants will be used for reconstruction of facial bone defects and correction of facial deformities. Each implant will be individually designed based on high-resolution computed tomography (CT) imaging and three-dimensional virtual surgical planning (VSP) using computer-aided design (CAD) software to accurately match the patient's anatomical defect.

The implants will be manufactured from medical-grade titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) using selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing technology. Post-processing will include surface finishing and sterilization prior to surgical use.

Surgical placement will be performed under general anesthesia following standard maxillofacial surgical protocols. The customized implants will be fixed to the native bone using titanium fixation screws when required to restore facial contour, structural support, and symmetry.

Postoperative follow-up will include clinical and radiological assessment using CT imaging t

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative Complication Rate
Time Frame: From surgery up to 6 months postoperatively
Assessment of postoperative complications following reconstruction with patient-specific 3D-printed titanium implants. Complications include infection, implant exposure, implant failure, or the need for revision surgery. Each patient will be assigned a binary score: 0 = no postoperative complication and 1 = presence of one or more postoperative complications. The outcome will be evaluated and recorded by the treating surgeon during the follow-up period. Higher values indicate a greater complication rate.
From surgery up to 6 months postoperatively
Outcome Measure Title: Implant Geometric Accuracy Assessed by 3D Deviation Analysis
Time Frame: Immediately after laser-based 3D printing of the implant and before surgical implantation.
Assessment of the geometric accuracy of the patient-specific 3D-printed titanium implant by performing three-dimensional scanning of the manufactured implant and comparing it with the original digital design using 3D deviation analysis software. Accuracy will be quantified as the root mean square (RMS) deviation between the scanned implant and the planned digital model. Lower deviation values indicate higher manufacturing accuracy.
Immediately after laser-based 3D printing of the implant and before surgical implantation.
Aesthetic Improvement Score
Time Frame: 3 months after surgery
Assessment of facial symmetry following reconstruction using a standardized 5-point facial symmetry scale evaluated by an independent plastic surgeon. Scores range from 1 (severe asymmetry) to 5 (excellent symmetry). Higher scores indicate better aesthetic outcomes.
3 months after surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Total Operative Time (Minutes)
Time Frame: During surgery
Assessment of the total duration of the surgical procedure, measured from skin incision to wound closure and recorded in minutes. Operative time will be compared with historical data from conventional reconstruction techniques. Lower values indicate greater surgical efficiency.
During surgery
Patient Satisfaction Score Using a 10-Point Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: 3 months after surgery
Assessment of patient satisfaction with the reconstructive outcome using a 10-point Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates complete dissatisfaction and 10 indicates complete satisfaction. Higher scores indicate greater patient satisfaction.
3 months after surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Tishreen University

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Basim A Slim, Tishreen University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 26, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 5, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 11, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 11, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • latakia-univ-2100
  • 1739 (Other Identifier: Scientific Research Council Decision No. 1739)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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