Research on repairing defective skull based on rapid prototyping manufacturing technology

Skull defects are generally caused by strong blows to the head, and surgical treatment is the preferred therapy for cranial injuries. With the development of computerized three-dimensional reconstruction technology and the improvement of related software development, the use of rapid prototyping technology combined with biologically active artificial bone materials can produce skull models that highly match the patient's skull defect site and promote good bone fusion. Herein, based on CT images of patients with skull defects, combined with information about the patient's brain tissue to obtain the complete original outline of the skull and restore the information of the skull defect site. After 3D reconstruction, a customized rapid prototype manufacturing of the skull defect repair implant is performed using a 3D printer. The resulting skull defect repair implant is very suitable for the site of the skull defect, indicating that the precise manufacture of skull defect repair implants using rapid prototyping technology is feasible, and has important significance for preoperative planning and reducing intraoperative harm during skull defect repair surgery.