3D printing custom skull implant prosthesis is a medical operation for skull defects, and this article shares the causes, materials, processes and postoperative precautions of skull defects

 

Skull repair: 3D printing custom skull implant prosthesis

 

Cranial implantation is a medical operation for skull defects, and the following is introduced from the causes of skull defects, repair materials, surgical procedures, risks and post-operative precautions:

 

Cause of defect

Skull defects caused by trauma: For example, traffic accidents, work injuries, violent injuries, etc., resulting in the loss of part of the skull, which may affect brain function and appearance, and need to be repaired with skull implants.

 

Sequelae of cranial surgery: due to brain tumor resection, cerebral hemorrhage surgery, etc., part of the skull is removed to relieve intracranial pressure, and after the condition is stabilized, skull implantation is often required to restore the integrity of the skull.

 

Congenital cranial hypoplasia: Some patients have skull defects or deformities due to congenital factors, such as congenital skull fissures, which can be corrected and repaired by skull implantation.

 

Technical principle

Data acquisition: Obtain accurate 3D data of the skull defect site by performing a CT scan of the patient's head, including detailed information on the shape, size, thickness, and area of the skull.

 

3D modeling and design: Computer-aided design (CAD) software is used to process and analyze CT scan data to construct a 3D model of skull defects. According to the patient's specific situation and surgical needs, the doctor modifies and designs the 3D model to produce a personalized prosthetic model that perfectly matches the patient's skull defect site.

 

3D printing manufacturing: The designed prosthesis model data is transferred to a 3D printer, and the skull implant prosthesis is printed layer by layer using suitable materials, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), etc.

 

Advantages of PEEK material

Good biocompatibility: Taking PEEK material as an example, it has elasticity, hardness, and thermal conductivity that are highly similar to those of the autologous skull, and basically does not produce rejection reactions, which can achieve excellent repair results in skull repair.

 

Chemically stable: resistant to high temperature and high pressure, strong resistance to blows, can exist stably in the body for a long time, and will not deteriorate or be damaged due to the body's metabolic process or external factors.

 

Precise shaping ability: It can be customized according to the shape and size of the patient's skull defect to achieve a seamless defect repair effect and restore the patient's original skull shape to the greatest extent.

 

Excellent imaging compatibility: the radiation is transparent, does not form artifacts, and does not affect various postoperative radiographic examinations, such as CT, MRI, etc., which is convenient for doctors to accurately assess the patient's postoperative recovery.

 

 

Surgical procedure

Preoperative preparation: In addition to performing a CT scan of the head to obtain data, routine preoperative examinations are also required to assess the patient's general condition such as cardiopulmonary function. The printed implants are strictly sterilized to ensure that no infection occurs during the procedure.

 

Surgical implantation: The surgeon makes an incision in the patient's scalp to separate the scalp and temporal muscle layers, exposing the normal bone margin around the skull defect and separating it from the subperiosteum-epidural, taking care to preserve the integrity of the dural sac. The sterilized 3D-printed skull implant is implanted into the skull defect accurately and the prosthesis is fixed to the skull using titanium nails or other fixation devices to ensure the stability of the prosthesis.

 

Postoperative management: After surgery, patients need to be hospitalized for several days to closely monitor vital signs and observe the condition of the wound to prevent complications such as infection, bleeding, and subcutaneous effusion. Drainage tubes are usually placed under the scalp and removed 1-2 days after surgery depending on the drainage.

 

Medical advantages

Personalization: The ability to accurately customize the unique shape and size of each patient's skull defect makes the repaired skull look and structure closer to the patient's original skull, improving the repair effect and patient satisfaction.

 

Increased surgical efficiency: For some complex skull defects, traditional methods may require splicing multiple bone flaps or spending a lot of time to shape, while 3D printed prostheses can be shaped in one piece, reducing the time and difficulty of surgery and reducing the risk of surgery.

 

Good aesthetic effect: The embedded repair method and precise shaping make the postoperative skull appearance smoother and more natural, and the appearance is more beautiful, which helps to improve the patient's appearance and reduce the patient's psychological burden.

 

 

Development prospects

Material innovation: Researchers are exploring the development of more advanced biomaterials, which not only have good biocompatibility and mechanical properties, but may also have functions such as promoting bone tissue regeneration and antibacterial, further improving the effectiveness and safety of cranial repair.

 

Integration with other technologies: 3D printed custom skull implant prostheses can be combined with artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other technologies. For example, artificial intelligence algorithms are used to optimize the repair scheme of skull defects to improve the accuracy and efficiency of prosthesis design.