Background: Maxillofacial war injuries usually cause severe facial organ defects and deformities, handicapping the patient's daily activities, even result in a tendency to commit suicide. The application of maxillofacial prosthesis is an alternative to surgery in functional–aesthetic facial reconstruction. Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing has opened up a new approach to the fabrication of maxillofacial prosthesis. An intelligentized rapid simulative design and manufacture system for prosthesis was developed to facilitate the prosthesis fabrication procedure.Methods: Maxillofacial prosthesis rapid simulation design and rapid fabrication system consists of three components: digital impression, intelligentized prosthesis designing, and rapid manufacturing. The patients' maxillofacial digital impressions were taken with Structured-light 3D scanner; and then the 3D model of prostheses and their negative molds could be designed in specific software; finally, with the resin molds fabricated by rapid prototyping machine, the prostheses could be produced directly and quickly.Results: Fifteen patients of maxillofacial defect caused by traumatic injuries received prosthesis rehabilitation provided by the established system. The contour of the prostheses coordinated properly with the appearance of the patients, and the uniform-thickness border sealed well to adjacent tissues. All the patients were satisfied with their prostheses.Conclusions: The rapid simulative rehabilitation system of maxillofacial defects has been approaching completion. It could provide advanced technological reservation for the Army in the issue of maxillofacial defect rehabilitation.
