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Published on: July 2, 2017
A systematic review of 3-D printing in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
1Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Curtin University; Western Australia-Australia. z.sun@curtin.edu.au.
Insights
Three-dimensional (3-D) printing creates patient-specific models from medical images. These accurate 3-D models aid in understanding complex cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for education and surgical planning.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
- Cardiovascular Surgery
Background:
- Three-dimensional (3-D) printing is increasingly utilized in medicine, particularly for cardiovascular diseases.
- Patient-specific models offer potential benefits in understanding and treating complex vascular conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review studies on the application of 3-D printed, patient-specific models in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
- To analyze the accuracy and utility of these models for clinical applications.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline and Scopus databases.
- Studies were included if they utilized patient's medical images for 3-D model creation; excluded were in vitro phantoms and review articles.
Main Results:
- Forty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria, generating diverse patient-specific 3-D models.
- Models accurately represented complex cardiovascular and cerebrovascular anatomy and pathologies, especially congenital heart diseases and valvular issues.
- 3-D printed models proved valuable for patient/clinician education and pre-surgical planning/simulation.
Conclusions:
- 3-D printed models derived from medical imaging accurately replicate complex cardiovascular and cerebrovascular anatomy and pathologies.
- 3-D printing serves as an effective tool for education and surgical planning in managing these diseases.
Objective:
The application of 3-D printing has been increasingly used in medicine, with research showing many applications in cardiovascular disease. This systematic review analyzes those studies published about the applications of 3-D printed, patient-specific models in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Methods:
A search of PubMed/Medline and Scopus databases was performed to identify studies investigating the 3-D printing in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Only studies based on patient's medical images were eligible for review, while reports on in vitro phantom or review articles were excluded.
Results:
A total of 48 studies met selection criteria for inclusion in the review. A range of patient-specific 3-D printed models of different cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were generated in these studies with most of them being developed using cardiac CT and MRI data, less commonly with 3-D invasive angiographic or echocardiographic images. The review of these studies showed high accuracy of 3-D printed, patient-specific models to represent complex anatomy of the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system and depict various abnormalities, especially congenital heart diseases and valvular pathologies. Further, 3-D printing can serve as a useful education tool for both parents and clinicians, and a valuable tool for pre-surgical planning and simulation.
Conclusion:
This systematic review shows that 3-D printed models based on medical imaging modalities can accurately replicate complex anatomical structures and pathologies of the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system. 3-D printing is a useful tool for both education and surgical planning in these diseases.
