Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Modern cranioplasty should consider appearance and function, recovering integrity of the cranial cavity, and reconstruction of surface anatomy of cranial vault. Conventional methods exist many disadvantaged, especially in reconstructing huge and complex defect of craniofacial areas.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the method of prefabricated and individualized implant for reconstruction of cranial defect by the techniques of CT data, computer imaging processing, rapid prototyping and exact foundry of titanium.
METHODS: The animal model of cranial defect was established by the adult goat. The raw data was obtained from continuous thin-layer volume computer tomography scanning. Three-dimensional curved model of implant was designed by in situ fully fit and interactive screen method through a serial disposal of CT imaging. The data of three-dimensional curved model was transmitted to rapid prototyping machine, the prototyping was finished. The individualized implant was prefabricated by exact foundry of titanium alloy.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The prefabricated individualized cranial implant was finished by a series of CT data processing, computer aided designing, rapid prototyping and titanium casting. The implant is well fitting with defect area. The results showed that the technique that prefabricated and individualized implant basing on CT data, computer aided design and rapid prototyping provides an effective method for reconstruction of cranial defect and resolves clinical difficulty of custom-made implant for patient. Moreover, this method has advantages of reduced operation time, simple operation-step, high accuracy of their fitting and satisfied function and aesthetic result restoring.