Skull Bone Defects Reconstruction with Custom-Made Titanium Graft shaped with Electron Beam Melting Technology: Preliminary Experience in a Series of Ten Patients

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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Skull Bone Defects Reconstruction with Custom-Made Titanium Graft shaped with Electron Beam Melting Technology: Preliminary Experience in a Series of Ten Patients

Natale Francaviglia Gabriele Costantino Francesco Meli Giuseppe Roberto Giammalva Rosario Maugeri Vito Fiorenza Domenico Gerardo Iacopino Antonino Odierna Contino

subject

Adult Male Decompressive Craniectomy medicine.medical_treatment chemistry.chemical_element Dentistry Neurosurgical Procedures Cranioplasty 030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging Prosthesis Implantation 03 medical and health sciences Imaging Three-Dimensional 0302 clinical medicine Freezing Electron beam melting technology medicine Humans Skull bone Reconstructive Surgical Procedures Custom-made titanium implants Aged Retrospective Studies Titanium Settore MED/27 - Neurochirurgia business.industry Skull Middle Aged Cranioplasty Skull medicine.anatomical_structure chemistry 3D computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies Cerebral hemodynamics Computer-Aided Design Female Skull bone defects Tomography X-Ray Computed business 030217 neurology & neurosurgery Titanium Biomedical engineering

description

Background: Cranioplasty represents a challenge in neurosurgery. Its goal is not only plastic reconstruction of the skull but also to restore and preserve cranial function, to improve cerebral hemodynamics, and to provide mechanical protection of the neural structures. The ideal material for the reconstructive procedures and the surgical timing are still controversial. Many alloplastic materials are available for performing cranioplasty and among these, titanium still represents a widely proven and accepted choice. Methods: The aim of our study was to present our preliminary experience with a “custom-made” cranioplasty, using electron beam melting (EBM) technology, in a series of ten patients. EBM is a new sintering method for shaping titanium powder directly in three-dimensional (3D) implants. Findings: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of a skull reconstruction performed by this technique. In a 1-year follow-up no postoperative complications have been observed and good clinical and esthetic outcomes were achieved. Conclusion: Costs higher than those for other types of titanium mesh, a longer production process, and the greater expertise needed for this technique are compensated by the achievement of most complex skull reconstructions with a shorter operative time.

year	journal	country	edition	language
2017-01-01

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39546-3_21