Purpose: To explore the application of navigation guided oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Methods: 104 patients including 34 ZMC fractures, 27 unilateral TMJ ankylosis, 29 craniofacial fibrous dysplasia, 9 mandibular angle hypertrophia, 3 cartilage/bone tumours of jaw and 2 cases with facial foreign bodies were enrolled in this study. The osteotomy lines, amount and range of resection, the reduction position of bony segments and the reconstruction morphology was determined and displayed by preoperative simulation with mirroring and superimposing procedures. All surgeries were performed under the guidance of navigation system. The accuracy of navigation was evaluated by comparing the postoperative CT 3-D model with preoperative surgical planning.

Results: Through registration, an accurate match between the intra-operative anatomy and the CT images was achieved. Good coincidence with preoperative planning was achieved with the guidance of real time navigation. The mean error between virtual simulation and surgical results was 1.46–0.24 mm. All patients healed uneventfully and the function and profile was improved significantly.

Conclusions: Surgical navigation shows its great value in improving the accuracy of maxillofacial surgery, reducing operational risk and postsurgical morbidity, and restoring facial symmetry.