CATeh, 보다 우수한 두개골성형술용 몰드 제작

Stratasys 3D printing allows for detailed, patient-specific implants.

A medical challenge.

A 23-year-old woman presented at the University Hospital Osijek, Croatia, department of neurosurgery, with a benign change in the bones of her skull. The deformed part of the skull was on her forehead, and highly visible. In addition to needing to remove part of the diseased bone, doctors determined that it was also necessary to address the woman’s cosmetic defects in order to reduce the psychological consequences of the surgery.

Traditionally, this procedure, a cranioplasty, required surgeons to tailor polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement implants to the patient’s skull using silicone molds. But these molds often have poor aesthetic results, long production times and high costs. Additionally, the operation would be lengthy and the final outcome was not guaranteed.

Before 3D printing, the surgeon had to shape the bone cement implant by hand. The aesthetic results were poor, the operation lasted longer and the outcome was less sure. With 3D printing, the outcome is much better because the implant is tailored to an individual’s CT scan.

Miodrag Katalenic, University of Zagreb

“Additive technology gives bone cement (PMMA), a proven material, a new life and greater application because with 3D printing it is now possible to easily and accurately create the complex shapes required for custom implants,” said Katalenic. How was the outcome of the 23-year old cranioplasty patient? “The patient is very pleased with the results of her operation,” said Sercer.

CATeh was founded with the goal of becoming the leading regional center for research, development and implementation of additive technologies connecting science and industry. The university now offers an elective course, “Modern Additive Manufacturing,” in an effort to ready students across multiple disciplines in the technological possibilities of 3D printing.

3D printing technology has also solved another production challenge in prosthetic molds. The exothermic, or heat-generating properties of the polymerization stage in the cooling process of the bone cement, can make it difficult to find a material that can be easily separated from the mold. “Traditional research methods in polymer processing would not be able to achieve the results we achieve with the 3D printed mold,” said Miodrag Katalenic, Chair of Polymer Processing at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb.

Beyond the Cranioplasty

The university continues to push the boundaries of implementing additive technologies. To date, 13 surgeries have been done using 3D printing technology. In addition to cranioplasties, the university hospital has also performed reconstruction of the vertebrae and half of the jaw.