Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026

3D Planning and Printing of Patient Specific Implants for Reconstruction of Bony Defects
Published on: August 4, 2020
Clinical evaluation of rapid 3D print-formed implants for surgical reconstruction of large cranial defects
Jeremy Kwarcinski1,2,3, Philip Boughton1,3, James van Gelder3,4
1School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Background:
To clinically evaluate 3D print-formed implant process, using cranioplasty as a proof of concept, to examine its effectiveness and utility as a method of intraoperative implant fabrication.
Methods:
Twelve patients had a 3D print-formed template created for patient-specific implant manufacture. Of these patients, 10 received intraoperatively formed polymethylmethacrylate cranioplasty implants between 2013 and 2019. The 3D print-formed implant templates produced to manufacture these patient-specific implants were generated using patient computed tomography scans and 3D printed using fused deposition modelling technology. Cosmetic and functional results were determined by participating surgeons, in conjunction with a patient questionnaire.
Results:
The functional results and stability of the implants were deemed to be favourable by participating surgeons. Three of the 10 patients completed a post-cranioplasty survey, all of whom judged their cosmetic results as good or excellent. At time of writing, the rate of surgical revision was zero and without clinically adverse outcomes.
Conclusions:
3D print-formed implants are an effective method of patient-specific implant formation.
Related Concept Videos
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
The ER provides optimal conditions for synthesizing steroid hormones and lipids, such as phospholipids and triglycerides. Traditionally, lipid metabolism was considered to be a smooth ER function. However, there is no direct evidence to prove that rough ER is completely excluded from lipid...
Liver Regeneration
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are large...
Liver Histology
Hepatocytes perform a variety of essential functions. They secrete...
Lipid Absorption
These breakdown products bind with bile salts and lecithin to form micelles, which quickly pass between microvilli to come in close contact with the apical...
Lipid Catabolism

