Implant design on virtual digital human skull models for the creation of customized Patient-specific regenerative implants: biomechanical consideration

Abstract

Craniomaxillofacial (CMF) defects may arise from a variety of aetiologies including trauma, tumour, and congenital. Currently, these defects may be stabilized through the use of standard design implants such as plates and screws. In some cases, standard design alloplastic bone fillers such as granules, blocks, and pre-shaped non-resorbable implants may also be used. Significant technological advancement over the past 10 years has led to a growing interest in the area of providing holistic patient care, where functional and aesthetic outcomes are equally important measures of the success of a reconstruction procedure. This growing interest comes on the back of a surge in the adoption of 3D printing by the medical and clinical community, for pre-surgical planning as well as for implant design and fabrication. 3D printing allows the generation of intricate structures that are biocompatible, integrating, and relevant to the tissue structure, thereby leading to tissue ingrowth, regeneration, and remodelling. 3D printing also allows the realization of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM) concept, which had shown great promise but had not yet been successfully applied in a clinical setting, until the last decade. Combining 3D printing, TERM, and holistic patient care, we derive the Regenerative Implant. This chapter shall discuss the history and development of 3D printing in the medical and clinical industry, design considerations, and challenges faced during implant design, as well as value proposition of the Regenerative Implant.