A SURGICAL PROCEDURE FOR CANCEROUS MANDIBULAR RECONSTRUCTION AND A TEMPORARY MANDIBULAR SPACER THEREFOR

摘要

There is provided herein a surgical procedure for cancerous mandibular reconstruction and a temporary mandibular spacer therefor. The spacer is a structural load-bearing and rigid/stiff interim space maintenance device that can be used by surgeons to temporarily bridge the gap across a resected part of the mandible. The device may be made of a rigid and biocompatible polymer material which is anatomically shaped like a natural mandible. During surgery, the mandibular spacer may be quickly cut with a surgical saw into the desired lengths by the surgeon which may more precisely match the resected segment of native mandible. The length and the shapes of the terminal ends of the spacer may be configured to more precisely maintain the position of the remaining mandibular segments in their original locations and thus preserve the occlusion and surrounding soft tissues in their correct anatomical positions, reducing or eliminating scarring and/or malocclusion.