3D Printing
News Videos Newsletter Contact us
Home / Medical / Skull Surgery a Success with 3D Printing
qidi

Skull Surgery a Success with 3D Printing

February 22, 2021

An infant in Dehli, India, has had a medical condition called Trigonocephaly treated with the aid of additive manufacturing.

Patients with Trigonocephaly are affected by a triangular shaped forehead which can cause neurological issues in addition to looking abnormal.

Thanks to additive manufacturing, the surgeons at Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, Dehli, have been able to prepare for the delicate surgery in advance with the use of 3D printed anatomical models, in particular, on a model of the skull with its various components.

Trigonocephaly
Normal skull (left). Source: <a href="https://www.drderderian.com/metopic-craniosynostosis">drderderian.com/metopic-craniosynostosis</a>

“Normally, the bones forming the skull are separated by joints called sutures, which also serve as centres of growth,” said Dr Richie Gupta, who specializes in reconstructive surgery at the hospital.

“These sutures fuse at set times after birth, one of the earliest being the suture between frontal bones, the metopic suture which obliterates between 3-9 months of age. An early sutural fusion results in lack of skull growth in a direction perpendicular to the suture. However, the brain is still growing at a rapid rate during this period and needs space to do so.”

In other words, the suture at the front of the head fuses early in people with the condition, and needs to be relieved with surgery to avoid issues.

A 3D printed skull was manufactured to enable surgical planning of the delicate procedure, which if unsuccessful could be detrimental to the patient’s health.

“We worked on these to determine the exact size of the bony cuts on the patient’s skull,” said Dr Sonal Gupta, director, neuro and spine surgery at the hospital.

“There was no scope for even the smallest of deviations, as it could cause blindness, profuse bleeding or even brain damage. We conducted a mock one on the 3D model a day prior – during the actual surgery, the next day, we transferred the measurements from 3D models to the patient’s skull.”

You can see a scan of what the condition does to an infant skull in the image above. As you can see, in a normal skull, the suture is open. In the case of a patient with Trigonocephaly (on the right) you can see that the suture is fused, causing issues.

“Our work with the two 3D models proved to be fruitful, enabling us to be meticulous in our execution, reducing the operative time and allowing the actual surgery to be precise.” said Gupta.

Overall, the main surgery itself was completed in 7 hours, and the patient was sent to the ICU for 2 days, to be observed and provided with post-surgery care.

After a brief return to the ward for a couple of days, the patient was discharged on the 6th day and happily is making a recovery, thus ending another successful story thanks to surgical planning assisted with 3D printing.

Related Story
Precision Anatomic Models with 3D Printing
Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
About the author | Phillip Keane
Phillip is an aerospace engineer from UK. He is a graduate of Coventry University (UK), International Space University (France) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), where he studied Advanced Manufacturing at the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing.
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Latest posts

Cornell Researchers Develop 3D Printing Method for Enhanced Superconductors

Cornell University researchers have developed a one-step 3D printing method that produces superconductors with improved properties. The research, published August 19 in Nature... read more »

News
Cornell Researchers Develop 3D Printing Method for Enhanced Superconductors

Scottish Maritime Project Shows Promise for 3D Printed Ship Components

A Scottish project using large-scale additive manufacturing for shipbuilding components has completed its second phase, demonstrating potential benefits for the maritime industry. The... read more »

News
Scottish Maritime Project Shows Promise for 3D Printed Ship Components

Navy Maintenance Center Uses 3D Printing to Replace Destroyer Pump Component at Fraction of Conventional Cost

The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC) has successfully used 3D printing to manufacture a replacement cooling rotor for an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile... read more »

Military
Navy Maintenance Center Uses 3D Printing to Replace Destroyer Pump Component at Fraction of Conventional Cost

Rapid Fusion Launches AI Assistant for Large-Format 3D Printers

British manufacturer Rapid Fusion has introduced "Bob," an AI-powered assistant designed to optimize operations for its large-format 3D printing systems. The company developed... read more »

News
Rapid Fusion Launches AI Assistant for Large-Format 3D Printers

Creality Submits IPO Prospectus for Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing

Shenzhen-based 3D printer manufacturer Creality has submitted a prospectus to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for a main board listing. The company began... read more »

News
Creality Submits IPO Prospectus for Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing

Graphjet Technology Partners with Malaysian University on 3D-Printed Heat Sink Development

Graphjet Technology has entered into a collaboration agreement with the Centre for Materials Engineering and Smart Manufacturing (MERCU) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).... read more »

News
Graphjet Technology Partners with Malaysian University on 3D-Printed Heat Sink Development

Humtown drives US Manufacturing Comeback with Additive Sand Casting

Humtown Products, an Ohio-based company, is positioning itself to serve manufacturers looking to bring production back to the United States. The company specializes... read more »

News
Humtown drives US Manufacturing Comeback with Additive Sand Casting

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Releases Advanced Dataset for 3D Printing Quality Monitoring

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has released a comprehensive dataset for its Peregrine software, which monitors and analyzes parts created through powder bed additive... read more »

News
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Releases Advanced Dataset for 3D Printing Quality Monitoring

Creality Expands Flagship Lineup with K2 and K2 Pro 3D Printers

Creality has announced the launch of the K2 and K2 Pro, two new additions to its high-end K series. Built on a rigid... read more »

3D Printers
Creality Expands Flagship Lineup with K2 and K2 Pro 3D Printers

Farsoon and Stark Future Complete KLINGA Project, Producing Over 1,000 Titanium Parts

Farsoon Europe GmbH and Stark Future have completed the KLINGA Project, a collaborative engineering initiative that produced more than 1,000 titanium parts using... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Farsoon and Stark Future Complete KLINGA Project, Producing Over 1,000 Titanium Parts

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • QIDI Plus4

    • - Print size: 305 x 305 x 280 mm
    • - print temperature of 370°C
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech Q1 Pro

    • - Print size: 245 x 245 x 245 mm
    • - 600mm/s max speed
    More details »
    $449.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • Snapmaker Artisan Premium 3-in-1

    • - Print size: 400 x 400 x 400 mm
    • - comes with enclosure
    More details »
    $2,999.00 Snapmaker
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech X-Max 3

    • - Print size: 325 x 325 x 315 mm
    • - fully enclosed
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Reviews

  • Anycubic Photon Mono M5s
  • Creality Ender 5 S1
  • The Mole 3D Scanner
  • Flashforge Creator 3 Pro

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2025 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing