revolution-in-surgery-:-the-patient-stretches-his-jaw-himself-using-two-magnets

Revolution in surgery: the patient stretches his own jaw using two magnets

January 23, 2025

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By Sylvie Riou-Milliot THE 23.01.2025 at 11:43 Subscribers

Revolution in progress in maxillofacial surgery. The 2024 Prize of the Fondation des Gueules Cassées has just been awarded to the project of a duo who plans, thanks to a magnetic field created between two magnets, to stretch the bone from the outside by the patient himself. Explanations

From left to right, Olivier Langeron, president of the Scientific Committee of the Fondation des Gueules Cassées, Natacha Kadlub, maxillofacial surgeon at the Necker-Enfants Malades hospital, Jean Boisson, teacher-researcher at the Mechanics Unit of Ensta, and General Luc Beaussant, president of the Fondation des Gueules Cassées.

Jean Rauzier

Two magnets to stretch the bone. The 2024 price of the Broken Faces Foundation (read the box below) which has just been awarded to surgeon Pr Natacha Kadlub (Necker Hospital, Paris) and to biomechanics research professor Jean Boisson (Ensta, Paris) marks a change of gear for maxillofacial surgery. This 2024 prize rewards the DOGMALI project which plans to stretch the bone using a magnetic device implanted in titanium activated daily by the patient himself.

Here, everything is based on a magnetic field created between the two magnets, one placed during the surgical procedure on the bone, the other being located in the box manipulated by the patient. It then becomes possible to gradually stretch the bone (here the mandible), without any external structure being visible. This is in stark contrast to current techniques, where patients must handle external metal rods on a daily basis. Explanations.

Jaw Surgery Mandible Magnet