To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and short-term aesthetic outcomes of integrated polyetheretherketone patient-specific implants for correcting multi-subunit midface concavity in patients without malocclusion.
Approach:
Study Design: Retrospective case series of adults treated with bilateral integrated PEEK patient-specific implants.
Patient Selection: Included patients with normal occlusion, moderate-to-severe midface concavity, and adequate soft-tissue coverage.
Outcome Measures: Primary outcome was late postoperative patient-reported aesthetic satisfaction assessed using a modified GAIS-derived 5-point scale.
Key Findings:
Sixty-two implants were placed in 31 patients with a mean follow-up of 8.3 months.
Late postoperative satisfaction scores were significantly higher than early scores (P < 0.01).
90.3% of patients reported satisfaction or very satisfaction at late follow-up.
Transient postoperative edema occurred in all patients; hypoesthesia was noted in 38.7% but resolved within 3 months.
No serious complications such as infection or permanent nerve injury were observed.
Interpretation:
Integrated polyetheretherketone patient-specific implants are a feasible option for selected patients with multi-subunit midface concavity and normal occlusion.
Limitations:
Retrospective design limits the ability to establish causality.
Short follow-up period may not capture long-term outcomes.
Lack of comparative controls and objective three-dimensional outcome assessments.
Conclusion:
Further studies with longer follow-up and comparative controls are warranted to validate these findings.
