Preoperative definition and new concept design of 3D printed buttress model to seal skull base after endoscopic endonasal surgery
ISSN: 1355-2546
Article publication date: 28 August 2024
Issue publication date: 24 October 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to integrate design methods and additive manufacturing with the use of a thermoplastic elastomer certified for medical use and reverse engineering towards a new concept of a customized buttress model with optimized features for the reconstruction of the osteo-dural opening after endoscopic endonasal transtuberculum-transplanum approach.
Design/methodology/approach
Additive manufacturing allows making of cost-effective and useable devices with tailored properties for biomedical applications. The endoscopic endonasal approach to the suprasellar area enables the management of different intradural tumours, and the craniectomy at the skull base is generally wide and irregular. Defining an optimal strategy for osteodural defect closure at the preoperative stage represents a significant challenge.
Findings
Using the results obtained from a computed tomography analysis, skull base defects were designed to plan the surgical approach. Several concepts of customized buttress models were first built up, initially focusing on thin, flexible edges characterized by different thicknesses. Finite element analyses and design optimization allowed us to achieve the optimal design solution with improved compliance/flexibility for easy intranasal manoeuvrability, maintaining an adequate mechanical stability. As the thickness of the edges decreased, an increase of strain energy values was found (i.e. 1.2 mJ – Model A, 1.7 mJ – Model B, 2.3 mJ – Model C, 4.3 mJ – Model D). However, a further optimization (Model E) led to a significant increase of the compliance (strain energy of 14.1 mJ).
Originality/value
The results obtained from clinical evaluations demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed technical solutions, improving surgery effectiveness.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Erratum: It has come to the attention of the publisher that the article “Preoperative definition and new concept design of 3D printed buttress model to seal skull base after endoscopic endonasal surgery” by Papallo, I., Solari, D., Onofrio, I., Ugga, L., Cuocolo, R., Martorelli, M., Russo, T., Bove, I., Cavallo, L.M. and Gloria, A., published in Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-08-2023-0280, contained an error in the title. “Preoperative definition and new concept design of 3D printed buttress model to sealskull base after endoscopic endonasal surgery” and has been corrected to “Preoperative definition and new concept design of 3D printed buttress model to sealskull base after endoscopic endonasal surgery”. The publisher sincerely apologises for this error and for any confusion caused.
Citation
Papallo, I., Solari, D., Onofrio, I., Ugga, L., Cuocolo, R., Martorelli, M., Russo, T., Bove, I., Cavallo, L.M. and Gloria, A. (2024), "Preoperative definition and new concept design of 3D printed buttress model to seal skull base after endoscopic endonasal surgery", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 30 No. 9, pp. 1956-1973. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-08-2023-0280
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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