出生不久就因意外成了“歪脸”的大熊猫“北侠”，在接受了全球首例大熊猫下颌不对称功能矫形治疗后康复。
出手的，是四川大学华西口腔医院的专家团队。
Bei Xia, a giant panda cub whose jaw became crooked in an accident shortly after birth, has recovered since receiving the world’s first functional orthodontic treatment for jaw asymmetry in his species. The team behind the procedure was from the West China Hospital of Stomatology at Sichuan University.
治疗之后的“北侠”
4年前，成都大熊猫繁育研究基地的雄性大熊猫幼崽“北侠”出生后不久，因母兽育幼经验不足，叼取用力不当，造成其左前肢严重损伤，颌骨也受到影响。
Four years ago, the male cub at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was accidentally injured by his inexperienced mother. She used too much force to pick him up with her mouth, damaging his left forelimb and injuring his jaw.
“北侠”接受截肢手术
由于左前肢出现不可逆的缺血性坏死，“北侠”出生不到24小时就接受了截肢手术。命虽然保住了，但它的下颌却随着成长逐渐向左偏斜，导致无法正常吮吸。
The forelimb suffered irreversible ischemic necrosis, and the cub had to undergo amputation within 24 hours of birth. His life was saved, but his lower jaw gradually drifted to the left as he grew, making it hard for him to suckle properly.
随着生长发育，“北侠”下颌偏斜逐渐加重
三个月时，下颌向左偏斜愈发明显，再不矫正，生长发育都要出问题。面对这个棘手的难题，成都熊猫基地兽医团队第一时间想到了华西口腔——国内口腔医学顶尖医疗机构，而且它就在成都！
By three months old, the asymmetry had become so pronounced that veterinarians feared it could hinder his growth if not corrected in time. Facing this tricky problem, the base’s veterinary team turned to Chengdu’s West China Hospital of Stomatology, one of China’s top dental institutions.
全程参与诊疗的“主刀”医生之一、华西口腔医院正畸科主任医师龙虎说，他接到这个任务时，相当兴奋，毕竟这是国宝啊！
不过当他了解到“北侠”的病情之后，却稍有些紧张起来。他说，“技术本身不是最难的部分，真正难的是——人类医生几乎不了解熊猫下颌是怎么发育的，可参考的研究也非常有限。”而且，动物可没法像人类患者那样沟通、配合治疗。
Long Hu, one of the lead surgeons, said he was quite excited when he received the task.
But after learning more about Bei Xia’s condition, Long became a little nervous. “The technique wasn’t the hard part,” he said. “The real challenge was that human doctors knew almost nothing about how a panda’s jaw develops, and there was very limited research available for reference.” Unlike human patients, animals also cannot communicate or cooperate during treatment.
熊猫基地兽医团队向华西口腔医院正畸科专家科普了动物口腔相关知识，双方进行多次会诊和讨论，确定对“北侠”实施矫形治疗。
Veterinarians from the panda base briefed the orthodontic team on animal oral anatomy, and the two sides held several rounds of consultations before settling on an orthodontic treatment plan.
“北侠”接受治疗中
2023年初，矫形操作在熊猫基地进行，从晚上9点一直忙到凌晨1点。
The procedure took place at the panda base in early 2023, from 9 pm to 1 am.
麻醉医生负责保证熊猫气道通畅、镇静稳定，正畸医生则把3D打印的定制矫治器粘到熊猫牙齿上，然后套上三根橡皮圈进行弹性牵引。
Anesthesiologists worked to maintain a clear airway and stable sedation, while orthodontists bonded 3D-printed appliances to the cub’s teeth. Elastic traction was then applied using three rubber bands.
“北侠”接受治疗中
矫形操作完成后的6个月里，由饲养员负责给“北侠”坚持佩戴橡皮圈，每24小时更换一次。6个月后，下颌偏斜基本得到矫正，吮吸、咬合、吞咽功能恢复正常。用于固定矫治器的牙齿也没有出现任何松动。
Over the following six months, keepers replaced the rubber bands every 24 hours. The deviation was almost completely corrected, and the cub was able to suck, bite, and swallow like normal. The teeth used as anchors showed no signs of loosening after the appliances were removed.
“北侠”接受治疗之后
如今，“北侠”已经四岁了，生活在成都大熊猫繁育研究基地都江堰野放繁育研究中心（熊猫谷），身体倍儿棒，吃嘛嘛香。
Bei Xia now lives at Panda Valley, a branch of the panda base in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province. The base said he is in good health and has a good appetite.
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