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International Journal of Bioprinting 3D-printing silicone patient-specific soft-tissue expander

Figure 8. Relationship between the average expansion volume and duration of expansion and the corresponding fourth-degree polynomial fitting curve.

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predicted volumes of 7112 and 7800 mm , respectively), 2558 mm , respectively. In comparison with the CAD
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the actual average volumes were approximately 81.8% and models for the left and right patient-specific silicone
81.7% of the predicted volumes, respectively (Table 1). expanders (i.e., with the predicted volumes of 3495 and
3
Figure 9 displays the front, bottom, and right-sided views 2581 mm , respectively), the actual average volumes were
of the comma- and heart-shaped silicone expanders after 6 approximately 101.8% and 99.1% of the predicted volumes,
weeks of expansion. respectively (Table 2). Observation of the cross-sectional
profile and height of the soft-tissue expanders revealed
The average expansion volume of the left and right a similarity in shape and comparable height to the CAD
patient-specific silicone expanders (n = 5) were 3558 and defect model (Figure 10).

Table 1. Expansion volume of the comma- and heart-shaped silicone expanders
Silicone expanders Sample Computer-aided design volume Actual experimental volume Volume error (%)
(mm ) (mm )
3
3
1 7112 5943 83.6
2 7112 5989 84.2
Comma-shaped 3 7112 6015 84.5
4 7112 5880 82.7
5 7112 5251 73.8
1 7800 6431 82.0
2 7800 6386 81.9
Heart-shaped 3 7800 6341 81.3
4 7800 6390 81.9
5 7800 6412 82.2

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 574 doi: 10.36922/ijb.2918