Zhang Jiaqi, Su Yanwen, Rao Xiao, Pang Huanhao, Zhu Hui, Liu Liang, Chen Ligang, Li Dichen, He Jiankang, Peng Jianhua, Jiang Yong
Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
Int J Bioprint. 2022 Nov 4;9(1):634. doi: 10.18063/ijb.v9i1.634. eCollection 2023.
173Cranioplasty is used for skull defects, involving lifting the scalp and restoring the contour of the skull with the original skull piece, titanium mesh, or solid biomaterial. Additive manufacturing (AM) technology, known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, is now utilized by medical professionals to develop customized replicas of tissues, organs and bones, offering a valid option with perfect anatomic fitting in the individual and skeletal reconstruction. Here, we report a case that underwent titanium mesh cranioplasty 15 years ago. The poor appearance of the titanium mesh weakened the left eyebrow arch and resulted in the formation of a sinus tract. Cranioplasty was performed using an additively manufactured polyether ether ketone (PEEK) skull implant. PEEK skull implants have been successfully implanted without any complications. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of direct use of fused filament fabrication (FFF)-fabricated PEEK implant for cranial repair. The FFF-printed PEEK customized skull implant could possess simultaneously with adjustable material thickness and more complex structure, tunable mechanical properties, and low processing costs compared with traditional manufacturing processes. While meeting clinical needs, this production method is an appropriate alternative for promoting the use of PEEK materials in cranioplasty.
173颅骨成形术用于治疗颅骨缺损，包括掀起头皮并用原颅骨片、钛网或固体生物材料恢复颅骨轮廓。增材制造（AM）技术，即三维（3D）打印，如今已被医学专业人员用于制作定制的组织、器官和骨骼复制品，为个体解剖结构完美适配和骨骼重建提供了一个有效的选择。在此，我们报告一例15年前接受钛网颅骨成形术的病例。钛网外观不佳削弱了左眉弓并导致窦道形成。使用增材制造的聚醚醚酮（PEEK）颅骨植入物进行了颅骨成形术。PEEK颅骨植入物已成功植入且无任何并发症。据我们所知，这是首例直接使用熔融沉积成型（FFF）制造的PEEK植入物进行颅骨修复的报道病例。与传统制造工艺相比，FFF打印的PEEK定制颅骨植入物可同时具备可调节的材料厚度和更复杂的结构、可调节的机械性能以及较低的加工成本。在满足临床需求的同时，这种生产方法是促进PEEK材料在颅骨成形术中应用的合适替代方案。
