Modular design workflow for 3D printable bioresorbable patient-specific bone scaffolds: extended features and...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Medical Device Design
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Patient-specific implants are crucial for complex bone defect reconstruction.
• Existing scaffold design workflows have limitations in adaptability and clinical integration.
• Enhancing design workflows is essential for routine clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend an existing patient-specific scaffold design workflow with new features.
• To improve the workflow's adaptability for diverse bone defects and clinical use.
• To validate the enhanced workflow through clinical case studies.

Main Methods:

• Developed a virtual surgical resection tool for defect modeling.
• Implemented minor cavity and segmental defect fill modules for versatile scaffold generation.
• Redeveloped the surgical approach module using functional representation to eliminate artifacts.
• Introduced a method for overlaying scaffold designs onto CT images for surgeon verification.

Main Results:

• The enhanced workflow successfully generated patient-specific scaffolds for complex bone defects (femur, humerus, craniomaxillofacial).
• Scaffold designs were verified for obstruction-free surgical insertion using digital and 3D printed models.
• All generated surface meshes were free from 3D printing errors.
• 3D printed scaffolds were successfully implanted in ongoing clinical cases.

Conclusions:

• The extended modular workflow demonstrates robust adaptability for a wide range of diverse clinical bone defect cases.
• The enhancements facilitate routine clinical use of patient-specific scaffold design.
• The workflow provides confidence in generating accurate and implantable scaffolds for complex orthopedic reconstructions.