SynthesisBMC oral health2026
Patient-specific guides and osteosynthesis versus CAD/CAM occlusal splints in orthognathic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of accuracy, operative time, and complications.
Synthesis in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOrthognathic surgery increasingly relies on digital transfer workflows, most commonly CAD/CAM occlusal splints or patient-specific implants (PSI). However, prior meta-analyses were limited by methodological heterogeneity, sparse randomized evidence, and insufficient axis-specific analyses, leaving the magnitude and clinical relevance of any accuracy advantage unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare PSI and CAD/CAM splint workflows in orthognathic surgery.
methodsThis study followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251039754). PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched from inception to August 23, 2025. Comparative clinical studies evaluating PSI versus CAD/CAM splints in orthognathic surgery were included. Outcomes included linear accuracy, angular accuracy, operative time, and postoperative complications. The primary linear accuracy outcomes were axis-specific translational deviations across the mediolateral, anteroposterior, and superoinferior directions. Angular accuracy was assessed across pitch, roll, and yaw. Randomized trials were assessed using RoB 2.0, and non-randomized studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
resultsThirty studies (12 RCTs and 18 cohort studies; 1317 patients) were included; 21 provided sufficient quantitative data for meta-analysis and 9 were synthesized narratively. Compared with CAD/CAM splints, PSI was associated with smaller axis-specific linear deviations across all three translational axes (all P < 0.01); a supportive combined linear summary showed the same direction but was not treated as a primary outcome. A possible advantage in angular accuracy was suggested (MD - 0.54°, 95% CI - 1.07 to - 0.01), but this was based on only six maxillary comparisons and should be interpreted cautiously. No statistically significant difference in postoperative complications was detected (RR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.64-1.60, P = 0.959). For operative time, current evidence did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between workflows; however, few studies and substantial heterogeneity precluded firm conclusions.
conclusionCompared with CAD/CAM splints, PSI workflows were associated with smaller axis-specific translational deviations, while the available angular evidence suggests possible but limited rotational advantages. Current evidence remains inconclusive regarding operative time and does not demonstrate a significant difference in complication rates. PSI may be considered selectively in cases requiring high transfer precision; further studies should assess long-term stability and patient-reported outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.