Printing a patient-specific instrument guide for skull osteoma management.

BACKGROUND: To surgically remove osteoma and to keep an optimal cosmetic profile would be very challenging. To solve the difficulty, we utilized the three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies in generating a patient-specific instrument guide (PSIG) for the safe removal of a skull bone tumor. METHODS: The preoperational brain computed tomography (CT) provided the digital imaging with thin slices, and then images were reconstructed into a 3D skull model. Based on the model, we designed a PSIG to make landmarks on the osteoma to avoid excessive removal of the skull bone. During the operation, the surgeons could remove the osteoma piece by piece by using the landmark as a reference point. RESULTS: The PSIG was successfully applied to remove an osteoma that measured 60 × 48 × 40 mm over the left frontoparietal skull of a female patient. The 3D CT reconstruction taken both before and 4 months after surgery showed a significant change in the appearance of the osteoma. CONCLUSION: The PSIG was able to guide the surgeon in the safe removal of the skull osteoma, as well as in maintaining the cosmetic skull profile.

Printing a 3-dimensional, Patient-specific Splint for Wound Immobilization: A Case Demonstration.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology can generate objects in almost any shape and geometry. This technique also has clinical applications, such as the fabrication of specific devices based on a patient's anatomy. A demonstration study is presented of a 54-year-old man who needed a thermoplastic splint to limit arm movement while a dehisced left shoulder wound healed. The patient's upper extremity was scanned using the appropriate noncontact scanner and 3D technology software, and the polylactic acid splint was printed over the course of 66 hours. This patient-specific splint was worn during the day, and after 2 weeks the wound was healed sufficiently to permit hospital discharge. Creation of an individualized splint is one of many potential medical uses of 3D technology. Although the lengthy printing time imposes limitations, the implications for practice are positive.