From precise navigation to intelligent decision-making: advances in the application of craniofacial plastic surgery robots

CHEN Hua ZHOU Jian-jun

Acta Anatomica Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (1) : 4-9.

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Acta Anatomica Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (1) : 4-9. DOI: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2026.01.001
Robotics and Surgical Navigation Column

From precise navigation to intelligent decision-making: advances in the application of craniofacial plastic surgery robots

  • CHEN Hua1,2*, ZHOU Jian-jun3*
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Abstract

Cranio-maxillofacial surgery, as a field of plastic surgery that integrates functional restoration and aesthetic remodeling, is undergoing a transformation from experience-based to digital and intelligent. With the deep integration of augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and robotic technology, modern cranio-maxillofacial plastic surgery has broken through the limitations of traditional techniques and entered the area of precise digital medicine. In this article, we systematically expounds the application prospects of intelligent navigation and surgical robots in the field of cranio-maxillofacial plastic surgery, from preoperative three-dimensional planning, intraoperative Real-time navigation to postoperative intelligent effect evaluation, revealing how core technologies such as multimodal data fusion, virtual-real registration, and force feedback control work together to enhance the precision and safety of surgery. By analyzing the latest research progress at home and abroad and comparing the advantages and challenges of different technical routes, it looks forward to future development directions such as remote surgery and autonomous decision-making. This review aims to provide a panoramic view of technological development for clinical practice and promote the standardized application and innovative breakthroughs of intelligent surgical systems in the field of cranio-maxillofacial plastic surgery.

Key words

Cranio-maxillofacial plastic surgery / Surgical navigation / Robot / Artificial intelligence

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CHEN Hua ZHOU Jian-jun. From precise navigation to intelligent decision-making: advances in the application of craniofacial plastic surgery robots[J]. Acta Anatomica Sinica. 2026, 57(1): 4-9 https://doi.org/10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2026.01.001

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