Prediction of functional consequences of a partial glossectomy can be difficult because of the complex synergistic activities of many muscles and neural structures involved in the swallowing and speech process. Predicting these functional consequences could give both the surgeon and the patient the information they need to choose the right treatment.

In this report a tool to perform surgery on a finite element based biomechanical model of the tongue is presented. The tool enables removal of a volume from the model and suturing of the virtual wound. In addition, scar tissue is added. The biomechanical model itself is an edited version of an existing biomechanical model. To make editing of the biomechanical model possible, the finite element and surface mesh are separated. The surgery tool is validated using real patient cases. From these patient cases, pre and postoperative 3D videos are analysed and compared with the biomechanical tongue, edited by the surgical tool.

Patient cases show that the biomechanical model is able to give a qualitative indication about the direction of impairment after surgery. Quantitative comparison is not yet possible because of the restrictions of the measurement method to measure the movement of the patient’s tongue.