Abstract

All types of cranioplasty techniques restore the morphology of the skull and affect patient aesthetics. Safe and easy techniques are required to enhance patients’ recovery and the rehabilitation process. We propose a new method of cranioplasty. The 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of a thin-layer computed tomography (CT) scan of the skull was used to reflect the intact side onto the defect and subtract the overlapping points from one another. In this way, a 3D model of the planned implant can be built in the required shape and size. The precise fit of the implant can be checked by printing the defective part of the skull in case it can be modified. A sterilisable silicone mould based on the finalized model was created afterwards. Polymethyl methacrylate implants were prepared directly in an aseptic environment in the operating room during surgery. Between 2005 and 2020, we performed 54 cranioplasties on 52 patients whose craniotomies were performed previously for indications of traumatic brain injury, stroke or tumour surgeries. No technical problems were noted during the operations. In 2 cases, septic complications that occurred were not connected to the technique itself, and the implants were removed and later replaced. Our proposed technique based on 3D-printed individual silicone moulds is a reliable, safe, easily reproducible and low-cost method to repair different skull defects.

Details

Title
Custom-made 3D printing-based cranioplasty using a silicone mould and PMMA
Author
Csámer, Loránd 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Csernátony, Zoltán 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Novák, László 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kővári, Viktor Zsolt 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kovács, Ágnes Éva 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Soósné Horváth, Hajnalka 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Manó, Sándor 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 University of Debrecen, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Debrecen, Hungary (GRID:grid.7122.6) (ISNI:0000 0001 1088 8582) 
 University of Debrecen, Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Debrecen, Hungary (GRID:grid.7122.6) (ISNI:0000 0001 1088 8582) 
 Health Centre of Hungarian Army, Department of Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary (GRID:grid.7122.6) 
Pages
11985
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2841692798
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.