From virtual design to physical prototype: topology-optimised patient-specific mandibular reconstruction plate

This study presents a design-for-additive-manufacturing (DFAM) workflow for developing lightweight patient-specific mandibular reconstruction plates (PSMRPs). Topology optimisation (TO) was employed to generate two new designs (PSMRP1 and PSMRP2) from an original plate (PSMRP0), achieving approximately 25% mass reduction. Their biomechanical performance was comparatively evaluated against the original design using finite element analysis (FEA) under two physiologically relevant occlusal conditions – incisal biting and right group clenching. The results indicate that the TOed plates maintained comparable structural safety and stability while offering adequate fatigue durability, despite a moderate reduction in resilience. PSMRP1 demonstrated more balanced biomechanical behaviour across both occlusal scenarios than PSMRP2. All three PSMRP designs were additively manufactured as physical prototypes using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) in Ti6Al4V and assembled onto three anatomically accurate 3D printed mandibular bone models via PolyJet in VeroWhitePlus, confirming both manufacturability and anatomical fit. This study establishes a closed-loop DFAM workflow from virtual design to physical prototype, demonstrating that topology optimisation enables the development of lightweight, manufacturable patient-specific implants without compromising biomechanical integrity.