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Utility of 3D printed cardiac models in congenital heart disease: a scoping review
Caroline F Illmann1,2, Rouzbeh Ghadiry-Tavi3, Martin Hosking1,2
1Children's Heart Centre, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Insights
Three-dimensional printing (3DP) for congenital heart disease (CHD) models (3D-CM) is emerging, primarily used for procedural planning, simulation, and education. Future research should focus on more robust studies beyond case reports to advance this novel healthcare technology.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Technology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Three-dimensional printing (3DP) offers novel applications in healthcare, especially for congenital heart disease (CHD).
- 3D printed CHD models (3D-CM) are increasingly utilized, but the scope of their application and research quality require examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the spectrum of uses for 3D-CMs in CHD.
- To identify knowledge gaps in the published literature on 3D-CMs to guide future research.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review of published literature on 3D-CMs was conducted.
- Searches were performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science up to July 19, 2019.
- Inclusion criteria focused on primary research using 3D-CMs in human subjects, excluding proof-of-concept or bioprinting studies.
Main Results:
- 79 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis.
- The majority of studies (66%) were case reports or series, with only 15% using a control group.
- Primary applications included surgical/interventional procedural planning (62 studies), simulation (25 studies), and education (17 studies).
Conclusions:
- 3DP for CHD is an evolving field with a literature base dominated by experiential reports.
- Significant knowledge gaps exist, with a need for more scientifically robust studies.
- Priority areas for future research have been identified to advance the clinical application of 3D-CMs.
Objective:
Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a novel technology with applications in healthcare, particularly for congenital heart disease (CHD). We sought to explore the spectrum of use of 3D printed CHD models (3D-CM) and identify knowledge gaps within the published body of literature to guide future research.
Methods:
We conducted a scoping review targeting published literature on the use of 3D-CMs. The databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched from their inception until 19 July 2019. Inclusion criteria were primary research; studies reporting use of 3D-CMs; and human subjects. Exclusion criteria were studies where 3D-CMs were generated for proof of concept but not used; and studies focused on bioprinting or computational 3D-CMs. Studies were assessed for inclusion and data were extracted from eligible articles in duplicate.
Results:
The search returned 648 results. Following assessment, 79 articles were included in the final qualitative synthesis. The majority (66%) of studies are case reports or series. 15% reported use of a control group. Three main areas of utilisation are for (1) surgical and interventional cardiology procedural planning (n=62), (2) simulation (n=25), and (3) education for medical personnel or patients and their families (n=17). Multiple studies used 3D-CMs for more than one of these areas.
Conclusions:
3DP for CHD is a new technology with an evolving literature base. Most of the published literature are experiential reports as opposed to manuscripts on scientifically robust studies. Our study has identified gaps in the literature and addressed priority areas for future research.
