3D PRINTING AND CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY.

3D Systems, industry leading 3D Printing supplier, shows how a team has demonstrated the medical possibilities with the technology. The team have utilised 3D Printing Technology to repair major deformities to eight-year-old Grace Kabelenga’s face, caused by the encephalocele she was born with. 3D Systems teamed up with World Craniofacial Foundation (WCF) and its founder and chair Dr. Kenneth Salyer. Grace has been challenged with a craniofacial abnormality, only made worse after serious infection, resulting in doctors having to remove an alarming amount of skull. Once the infection was under control, they had to find a way to re-form her forehead. In her initial surgery for this, 3D Systems worked with the medical team by giving them access to Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP). This allows for a complete 3D and virtual reality simulation of an upcoming surgery, made possible by using data from the patient’s CT scans. “The information that was provided by 3D Systems enabled virtual planning over the Internet by participants in various locations around the world,” says Dr. Salyer of WCF. At this point, they also 3D Printed guides, models, and templates that were patient-specific to Grace, allowing for surgeons to navigate through the surgery. All of this was made possible on both the 3D Systems ProX 800 and ProJet 7000 Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printers, allowing for the surface smoothness and definition they required. The ProJet 7000 HD is meant for dental applications, further enabling them with this particular surgery, performed in Mexico City. Surgeons were able to continue working on the initial encephalocele, where brain was exposed in the back of her mouth, as well as even actually moving her eyes so that they would be closer together. “We were able to move the pieces of the entire anatomical puzzle into precise position only because of the guides created by 3D Systems from the 3D models,” says Dr. Salyer. “Without them, the precision required would be impossible.” Once that surgery was completed, they knew there was much more work to do in regards to her forehead area. 3D Systems guided surgeons in using 3D printing technology to create history with the first 3D printed forehead implant, including a lattice that would slowly allow bone to grow around it with the 3D printed piece safely biodegrading. This successful surgery was performed in Cape Town, South Africa at the Tygerberg Hospital in May 2015. It hinged on all of the choreography coming together, in combination with all of the 3D tools and 3D printed models. The 3DS team were able to help in the fabrication of a new forehead for Grace by using their 3D sculpting software, Geomagic Freeform Plus. According to 3D Systems, this is what allowed them to make the complex, organic curves for the forehead. The accompanying 3D haptic device and software combined meant that the team could make edits to their work digitally, and conveniently. 3D-Systems-crainiofacial When they were all satisfied with the design, KLS Martin 3D printed the final implant, as well as also allowing for the initial design of a patient-specific bone graft to be ultimately created by Bacterin. “Planning the surgery for Grace was particularly demanding,” says Shawn Burke, director of product development for KLS Martin North America. “Unlike many cases, Grace was missing a large volume of bone, making it a challenge to create a reconstruction that is strong enough but goes away and allows for the patient’s own bone to grow. The other challenge was the six teams from three continents that had to be able to see and interact with the 3D simulations in real-time. This was truly a multinational effort and solution coordinated by 3D Systems.” “Using the same SLA technology and resin that we used to produce the models and templates for Dr. Salyer’s reference, we were able to produce these highly precise, case-specific, custom-made parts much more rapidly than could be achieved using traditional techniques such as machining or injection molding.” With perfect choreography indeed, and success as Grace’s body accepted the implant and the bone began growing back, now the opportunity is there for another surgery this year that will allow doctors to reconstruct the soft tissues area such as the nose, nasal passages, upper lip and eye areas. Contributed by Tribe life.