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Prototyping for surgical and prosthetic treatment
Marcelo Coelho Goiato1, Murillo Rezende Santos, Aldiéris Alves Pesqueira
1Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, Araçatuba School of Dentistry, São Paulo State University, São Paulo, Brazil.
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
|May 12, 2011
Summary
Rapid prototyping enhances surgical planning and creates custom maxillofacial prostheses. This technology has become vital in medicine for improved patient outcomes and complex reconstructions.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Technology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Rapid prototyping (RP) emerged in the 1980s for engineering, enabling solid model fabrication from digital files.
- RP adoption in healthcare facilitated applications in surgical planning, simulation, and custom prostheses.
- The evolution of RP in healthcare has led to simplified techniques and better surgical results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution and applications of rapid prototyping in healthcare.
- To assess the role of RP in surgical planning and maxillofacial prostheses fabrication.
- To identify key areas of application for RP in medicine based on published literature.
Main Methods:
- A literature review was conducted on the MEDLINE (PubMed) database.
- Keywords used included 'rapid prototyping,' 'surgical planning,' and 'maxillofacial prostheses.'
- Articles published between 1981 and 2010 were screened, with 50 selected for relevance.
Main Results:
- Rapid prototyping is utilized across various medical fields, including maxillofacial/craniofacial surgery, implantology, neurosurgery, and orthopedics.
- RP enables the fabrication of scaffolds from diverse materials (ceramic, polymeric, metallic).
- Customized maxillofacial prostheses fabrication is a significant application of RP.
Conclusions:
- Rapid prototyping is an indispensable tool in modern healthcare.
- RP significantly aids in surgical planning and simulation.
- The technology is crucial for the fabrication of patient-specific prostheses and implants.
