Effectiveness of Additive Manufactured Titanium Implants in the Reconstruction of Large Cranial Defects: Case Series and Review of Literature

Abstract

Introduction
Replacement of lost soft and hard tissues of the human body has always been a daunting task across all surgical specialties. Reconstruction of a cranial deformity is challenging due to the functional and cosmetic requirements. A major constraint with large cranial bony deformity reconstruction is the nonavailability of graft of a specific shape and size.

Materials and Method
A total of four cases of large cranial defects which included three cases of unilateral and one case of midline residual deformity were reconstructed at our center using customized titanium implants. These implants were fabricated using additive manufacturing/3D printing technology utilizing computerized tomographic data.

Conclusion
The additively manufactured titanium implants appear to be a viable option in the reconstruction of large cranial defects.