Patient-Specific Cranial Stent for Post-Traumatic Defect Rehabilitation Using Digital Reconstruction

The study aimed to present the fabrication and clinical use of a customized cranial stent made with three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, 3D printing and replicated using heat-cured clear acrylic resin for rehabilitating a posttraumatic cranial defect. Cranial defects can result from trauma, surgical intervention, or congenital conditions, leading to neurological vulnerability, facial deformity, and psychosocial distress. Conventional reconstruction methods, such as autologous bone grafts and titanium meshes, often demand extensive intraoperative adjustments and still fail to achieve complete marginal adaptation. With advances in 3D digital technologies, patient-specific cranial prostheses can now be designed with greater accuracy, offering improved functional and esthetic outcomes while reducing surgical time. A patient presented with a cranial defect on the upper left side of the skull 6 months after a road traffic accident and neurosurgical intervention. Computed tomography data were used to digitally reconstruct the defect, and a 3D prototype was printed in polylactic acid. This served as a template for replicating the cranial stent in heat-cured clear acrylic resin. The stent was processed using conventional laboratory techniques, finished, polished, and perforated to allow fluid seepage. Presurgical verification on the 3D model confirmed accurate marginal adaptation. After ethylene oxide sterilization, the stent was surgically placed and fixed with titanium plates. Postoperative scans showed complete coverage, and at 15 days, the patient reported no discomfort, with improved craniofacial esthetics. Customized cranial stents fabricated with digital reconstruction and conventional prosthodontic methods provide accurate adaptation, restore cranial symmetry, and improve patient comfort and esthetics.