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

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

New 3D-Printing Technique Creates Dual-Material Objects from Single Resin

Researchers have developed a new Vat photopolymerization technique that creates both permanent objects and dissolvable supports in a single process. According to a... read more »

Materials
New 3D-Printing Technique Creates Dual-Material Objects from Single Resin

Northumbria Receives EU Funding for Sustainable 3D-Printed Construction Research

Northumbria University has received a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Fellowship worth over a quarter million euros to research low-carbon, 3D-printed construction materials. The... read more »

Construction
Northumbria Receives EU Funding for Sustainable 3D-Printed Construction Research

3D-Printed Sports Bra Could Help Olympic Star Break Historic Athletics Record

Nike has developed a new 3D-printed sports bra called the FlyWeb Bra for runner Faith Kipyegon's attempt to break the 4-minute mile barrier.... read more »

News
3D-Printed Sports Bra Could Help Olympic Star Break Historic Athletics Record

Vietnam Emerges in High-Tech Medicine as Vinmec Pioneers 3D-Printed Breakthroughs

Across pediatric, adult, and geriatric cases, Vietnam’s Vinmec Healthcare System's implementation of 3D printing solutions has significantly transformed patient outcomes, replacing disability with... read more »

Medical
Vietnam Emerges in High-Tech Medicine as Vinmec Pioneers 3D-Printed Breakthroughs

Johns Hopkins APL Helps Navy Overcome Metal 3D Printing Reliability Concerns

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) are working with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to address reliability concerns with... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Johns Hopkins APL Helps Navy Overcome Metal 3D Printing Reliability Concerns

New 3D Printing Technique Creates Glass Objects at Low Temperatures

Researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory have developed a new low-temperature process for 3D printing glass objects. This method creates complex glass structures without... read more »

News
New 3D Printing Technique Creates Glass Objects at Low Temperatures

Farsoon Launches High-Volume Copper Alloy 3D Printing System FS621M-Cu

Farsoon has developed a specialized 3D printing system for producing large copper alloy components for aerospace applications. The company's new FS621M-Cu system, built... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Farsoon Launches High-Volume Copper Alloy 3D Printing System FS621M-Cu

Pratt & Whitney Tests 3D Printed Rotating Part for TJ150 Engine

Pratt & Whitney has completed a series of tests on its 3D printed TJ150 turbine wheel. The company, an RTX business, reports the... read more »

Aerospace
Pratt & Whitney Tests 3D Printed Rotating Part for TJ150 Engine

University of Bristol Researchers are Testing 3D-Printed Structures for Earthquake Resistance

University of Bristol researchers are testing 3D-printed structures for earthquake resistance using a specialized shaking table. The experiment, conducted at the university's Soil... read more »

Construction
University of Bristol Researchers are Testing 3D-Printed Structures for Earthquake Resistance

3D Printing Technology Tested on Historic Bridge in Great Barrington as Potential Solution for Aging Infrastructure

Researchers from UMass Amherst and MIT have successfully applied 3D printing technology to repair a bridge in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The test utilized... read more »

3D Printing Metal
3D Printing Technology Tested on Historic Bridge in Great Barrington as Potential Solution for Aging Infrastructure

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 Tech Q1 Pro

    • - Print size: 245 x 245 x 245 mm
    • - 600mm/s max speed
    More details »
    $449.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • 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 X-Max 3

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

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