Precision of a Novel Craniofacial Surgical Navigation System Based on Augmented Reality Using an Occlusal Splint as a Registration Strategy

The authors have developed a novel augmented reality (AR)-based navigation system (NS) for craniofacial surgery. In this study, the authors aimed to measure the precision of the system and further analyze the primary influencing factors of the precision. The drilling of holes into the mandibles of ten beagle dogs was performed under the AR-based NS, and the precision was analyzed by comparing the deviation between the preoperational plan and the surgical outcome. The AR-based NS was successfully applied to quickly and precisely drill holes in the mandibles. The mean positional deviation between the preoperative design and intraoperative navigation was 1.29 ± 0.70 mm for the entry points and 2.47 ± 0.66 mm for the end points, and the angular deviation was 1.32° ± 1.17°. The precision linearly decreased with the distance from the marker. In conclusion, the precision of this system could satisfy clinical requirements, and this system may serve as a helpful tool for improving the precision in craniofacial surgery.