Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
3D Planning and Printing of Patient Specific Implants for Reconstruction of Bony Defects
Published on: August 4, 2020
[Reconstruction of the cranial vault using CAD/CAM-fabricated glass bioceramic implants]
A Balossier1, A Durand, V-V Achim
1Service de neurochirurgie, centre hospitalier universitaire de Caen, avenue de la Côte-de-Nacre, Caen cedex 9, France. anne.balossier@free.fr
Background And Purpose:
Reconstruction of a cranial vault after craniectomy is an esthetic and functional challenge. The quest for the ideal implant that would mimic an original bone graft has tested many materials such as bone implants and artificial substitutes. The aim of this multicenter study was to report a set of preliminary results of cranioplasty using bioceramic implants made of Bioverit® II.
Methods:
In this retrospective study, we attempted to assess the esthetic results of prefabricated Bioverit® II prostheses and to determine their performance in reducing operating time and surgical complications in delayed cranioplasty.
Results:
Within a 3-year period, 16 patients from four French university hospitals underwent cranial reconstruction using this technique. The results were encouraging, with all patients showing a good esthetic outcome. Hospital length of stay after surgery was short (median, 5.5 days). One prosthesis had to be reshaped during surgery. Only one patient experienced superficial wound infection successfully treated without removing the material.
Conclusions:
CAD/CAM-fabricated Bioverit® II prostheses are a good alternative when autologous bone is not available. Fabrication of bioceramic prostheses using this method requires surgical scheduling, which is justified by the following advantages: reduced operating time, lack of donor morbidity, good esthetic results, and stability. The only drawback of this material is its price, which can limit its deployment.
