Page 181 - IJB-9-1

International Journal of Bioprinting

CLINICAL CASE STUDY
Additively manufactured polyether ether ketone

(PEEK) skull implant as an alternative to titanium
mesh in cranioplasty

Jiaqi Zhang 1,2† , Yanwen Su 3,4† , Xiao Rao 1,2† , Huanhao Pang , Hui Zhu ,
3,4
3,4
Liang Liu , Ligang Chen , Dichen Li , Jiankang He *, Jianhua Peng *,
3,4
1,6
3,4
1,5
1,5
Yong Jiang 1,2,7 *
1 Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou,
Sichuan 646000, China
2 Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest
Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
3
State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an
710049, China
4 National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of
Additive Manufacturing Medical Devices, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
5 Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical
University, Luzhou 646000, China
6 Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest
Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
7 Institute of Epigenetics and Brain Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China

*Corresponding authors:
Yong Jiang Abstract
(jiangyong@swmu.edu.cn)
Jianhua Peng
(pengjianhua@swmu.edu.cn) Cranioplasty is used for skull defects, involving lifting the scalp and restoring the
Jiankang He contour of the skull with the original skull piece, titanium mesh, or solid biomaterial.
(jiankanghe@mail.xjtu.edu.cn) Additive manufacturing (AM) technology, known as three-dimensional (3D)
Citation: Zhang J, Su Y, Rao X, printing, is now utilized by medical professionals to develop customized replicas of
et al., 2023, Additively manufactured tissues, organs and bones, offering a valid option with perfect anatomic fitting in
polyether ether ketone (PEEK) skull the individual and skeletal reconstruction. Here, we report a case that underwent
implant as an alternative to titanium
mesh in cranioplasty. Int J Bioprint, titanium mesh cranioplasty 15 years ago. The poor appearance of the titanium
9(1): 634. mesh weakened the left eyebrow arch and resulted in the formation of a sinus tract.
https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v9i1.634
Cranioplasty was performed using an additively manufactured polyether ether
Received: July 24, 2022 ketone (PEEK) skull implant. PEEK skull implants have been successfully implanted
Accepted: September 05, 2022 without any complications. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of direct
Published Online: November 4,
2022 use of fused filament fabrication (FFF)-fabricated PEEK implant for cranial repair.
The FFF-printed PEEK customized skull implant could possess simultaneously with
Copyright: © 2022 Author(s). This is
an Open Access article distributed adjustable material thickness and more complex structure, tunable mechanical
under the terms of the Creative properties, and low processing costs compared with traditional manufacturing
Commons Attribution License, processes. While meeting clinical needs, this production method is an appropriate
permitting distribution and
reproduction in any medium, alternative for promoting the use of PEEK materials in cranioplasty.
provided the original work is properly
cited.
Keywords: Cranioplasty; Three-dimensional printing; Additive manufacturing;
Publisher’s Note: Whioce Polyether ether ketone; Fused filament fabrication
Publishing remains neutral with
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional
affiliations.

Volume 9 Issue 1 (2023) 173 https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v9i1.634