Bone implants for the skull and facial region produced with 3D printers

The Center for Additive Manufacturing and Titanium Medical Implant Research and Production (KİMAUM) was established 10 months ago by Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ) with the support of the Istanbul Development Agency.

Scientists at this center and doctors at Bezmialem Vakıf University Hospital have successfully collaborated to produce custom titanium bone implants for the skull and facial region using 3D printers.

It is aimed for these high-tech implants to begin being applied to patients in the near future.

FOR SKULL AND BONE TRAUMAS

Prof. Dr. Mihrigül Ekşi Altan, Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at YTÜ and a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, stated in her explanation that the center was established in April with the support of the Istanbul Development Agency.

Stating that the primary goal of the center is to design permanent bone implants for bone traumas in the jaw surgery and skull regions, starting from computed tomography data, and to produce them using 3D printing techniques, Altan said, "We perform the segmentation and STL conversions related to this data using the software in our center's existing infrastructure and transform it into computer-aided design data. Later, we carry out the design process of the implant according to the physician's request to meet surgical expectations, tailored to the patient's needs."

Explaining that they produce the design from plastic using a 3D printer, Altan said, "After the part of the fractured skull model where the implant will be attached is produced in plastic, their geometric compatibility is checked. After performing checks with measurement equipment at our center, the design is verified. Then, we send this to the metal 3D printer and produce the bone implant from a titanium alloy."

Prof. Dr. Altan stated that they would deliver the design to the surgeon after production, and continued as follows:

"The product we make is custom-made. Each product is rare and unique. For this reason, it is not possible to do this in mass production. We use titanium alloy powder in the production of the bone implant, whose design we have verified, in a 3D printer, that is, through additive manufacturing. Our biggest partners in this study are surgeons and physicians. We are here as an engineering team and we work together with them. We produce the implant, which depends on the fracture and bone defect the person has in their body, in exact accordance with the patient's own tissue and anatomical structure. Since we design the product, which is perfectly compatible with the patient's fractured bone tissue, by taking it from computed tomography data and subsequently producing it in a 3D printer, there is no abnormality or incompatibility with the main bone tissue."

"THE PATIENT'S RISK OF FACING A SECOND SURGERY AND THE RISK OF INFECTION ARE REDUCED"

Stating that surgeons have been performing successful surgeries on the subject for years, but that these bones sometimes lead to a second operation, Altan noted that previous techniques caused surgeries to take a long time.

Pointing out that with the method they apply, they provide every detail down to the diameter and depth of the screw holes, making the surgery time short and successful, Altan said, "Because a precise, pinpoint fit is achieved, the patient's risk of facing a second surgery and the risk of infection are reduced. We minimize these problems with implants produced by 3D printers."

Explaining that their center has also received the "ISO 13485 Quality Management System Certificate," Altan announced that this method will begin to be applied to real patients in the second half of the year.

Prof. Dr. Altan added that they will start using this method in different anatomical regions in the future.