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Updated: Jul 5, 2025
Voxel Printing Anatomy: Design and Fabrication of Realistic, Presurgical Planning Models through Bitmap Printing
Published on: February 9, 2022
Comparative study of biomodels manufactured using 3D printing techniques for surgical planning and medical training
M V Requena-Pérez1, P Andrés-Cano2, L Galán-Romero3
1"Puerta del Mar" Universitiy Hospital, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital; Andalusian Public Foundation for Health Research Management in Seville (FISEVI), Seville, Spain.
Objectives:
To obtain 3D printed bone models with a haptic sensation similar to that of the real bone, which will help the surgeon to learn and improve based on practice.
Methods:
From computed tomography, 3 digital anatomical models of the human proximal femur were created and, by modifying the printing parameters, both cortical and trabecular tissues were simulated, which were combined in a different cortico-cancellous interface depending on the bone segment. The 3 equivalent models obtained were compared with a commercial Sawbone synthetic model and subjected to a series of blind surgical practice trials performed by 5 TOC specialists from a hospital, each of them with different degrees of expertise. A statistical analysis of the qualitative data collected based on the Wilcoxon test, the Spearman correlation matrix, and the Validity Ratio Coefficient was performed.
Results:
The deviations observed in the dimensional study are less than 0.2 millimeter, which confirms the validity of the 3DP-FFF technology to geometrically recreate personalized biomodels with high anatomical precision.
Conclusions:
The reproductions obtained have given rise to a reliable method that professionals can refine to plan operations with the consequent reduction of time and risks for the patient, as well as for medical training.
