Bone segment navigation is a surgical method used to find the anatomical position of displaced bone fragments in fractures, or to position surgically created fragments in craniofacial surgery. Such fragments are later fixed in position by osteosynthesis. It has been developed for use in craniofacial and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Bone segment navigation is a patented [1][2] surgical procedure, using a frameless and markerless registration technique. It uses for the first time natural registration surfaces instead of single artificial x-ray visible markers, in order to achieve a higher precision (1 mm and better).[3] Previous methods of Cutting and Watzinger do not meet the criteria of bone segment navigation.[4]
After an accident or injury, a fracture can be produced and the resulting bony fragments can be displaced. In the oral and maxillofacial area, such a displacement could have a major effect both on facial aesthetics and organ function: a fracture occurring in a bone that delimits the orbit can lead to diplopia; a mandibular fracture can induce significant modifications of the dental occlusion; in the same manner, a skull (neurocranium) fracture can produce an increased intracranial pressure.[citation needed]
In severe congenital malformations of the facial skeleton surgical creation of usually multiple[5][6] bone segments is required with precise movement of these segments to produce a more normal face.