This article shares the advantages and applications of 3D printed medical PEEK cranial plate implants, providing patients with better treatment outcomes and quality of life

 

3D printing medical: PEEK cranial plate prosthesis - example 51

 

PEEK is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic aromatic polymer with widespread applications in the medical field, particularly in cranial repair, where it demonstrates advantages unmatched by traditional materials. Compared to traditional titanium mesh materials, 3D-printed PEEK cranial plate prostheses use an embedded repair method that can fully fit into the bone window, perfectly aligning with the defect area. This allows for a smooth surface that cannot be felt through the scalp. Custom shapes of bone plates can be created using 3D modeling technology to meet anatomical reconstruction requirements. Its mechanical properties are similar to those of autogenous bone, making it strong and preventing concerns about deformation under stress. It also has good radiographic penetration and is non-magnetic, ensuring no artifacts in imaging examinations. Additionally, compared to titanium mesh implants, its postoperative infection rate is reduced by 67%, and bone integration is 2.3 times faster, with a 6-month bone combination rate of 98%.

 

 

Medical advantages

 

Good biocompatibility: PEEK material has good compatibility with human tissue, with a low rejection rate, and is less likely to react with surrounding tissues, reducing the occurrence of postoperative complications.

 

Precise personalized customization: By using the patient's cranial defect imaging data and 3D printing technology, a PEEK cranial bone plate prosthesis can be precisely customized to perfectly match the defect area, achieving anatomical reconstruction.

 

Excellent mechanical properties: Its mechanical properties are close to those of autologous bone, with a solid texture, high strength, and good impact resistance, providing effective protection for brain tissue, and it is less likely to deform.

 

Good compatibility with imaging: It is transparent to X-rays and does not produce artifacts in CT, MRI, and other imaging examinations, not affecting postoperative examination and diagnosis of the patient's brain.

 

Convenient surgical operation: 3D printed PEEK cranial bone plate prostheses are usually implanted by embedding, fully fitting into the bone defect area, closely adhering to the defect zone, making fixation easy, and the surgical operation is relatively simple, thus shortening the surgery time.

 

Application process

 

Preoperative assessment and data collection: Doctors conduct a comprehensive preoperative assessment of the patient, including their general condition and the status of the cranial defect. At the same time, they obtain precise data on the patient's cranial defect through a head CT scan.

 

Prosthetic design and printing: Based on the CT data, computer-aided three-dimensional reconstruction and design are used to simulate the shape and size of the cranial plate prosthetic that is suitable for the patient. Then, a personalized PEEK cranial plate prosthetic is manufactured using 3D printing technology.

 

Surgical implantation: During the surgery, the doctor makes a scalp incision along the original incision, separates the tissue, exposes the cranial defect area, and precisely inserts the customized PEEK cranial plate prosthetic into the bone defect, securing it with connecting plates and titanium screws, and then sutures the scalp layer by layer.

 

Postoperative care and follow-up: After the surgery, the patient needs close care, including wound care and monitoring of vital signs. The patient needs to undergo regular follow-up CT scans and other examinations to observe the position of the prosthetic, the healing condition, and whether there are any complications.

 

Development prospects

 

With the continuous advancement of 3D printing technology and the reduction of PEEK material costs, 3D printed PEEK skull plate prostheses are expected to be more widely used in the field of skull defect repair. At the same time, future research may further optimize the design and performance of the prosthesis, improve its integration with human tissues, and provide patients with better treatment outcomes and quality of life.