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Patient-specific 3D-printed helmet for post-craniectomy defect - a case report
Sherby Suet-Ying Pang1, Evan Fang2, Kam Wai Chen3
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
3D Printing in Medicine
|January 28, 2022
Summary
Custom 3D-printed helmets offer a solution for patients with complex decompressive craniectomy defects. This patient-specific approach provides a comfortable and effective alternative when standard helmets are not feasible, ensuring protection during rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Device Design
Background:
- Patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy (DC) often require protective helmets for rehabilitation.
- Conventional helmets may not fit or may cause complications with unique craniectomy defect configurations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the fabrication and application of a custom 3D-printed helmet for a patient with a complex decompressive craniectomy defect.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of patient-specific 3D-printed devices when standard options are inadequate.
Main Methods:
- A patient-specific, strapless helmet was designed using computed tomography (CT) scans and 3D modeling software.
- The custom helmet was fabricated using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology.
- The helmet was designed to avoid compression of the craniectomy site and a vascular pedicle flap.
Main Results:
- The custom 3D-printed helmet provided a perfect fit for the patient.
- It successfully circumvented compression issues associated with conventional helmets.
- The patient experienced improved cosmesis and the helmet remained functional four months postoperatively.
Conclusions:
- 3D printing enables the creation of low-volume, patient-specific rehabilitation devices.
- Custom 3D-printed devices can address clinical needs where standardized options are suboptimal.
- Surgeons can potentially produce these devices in-house after initial training and overcoming startup costs.
