Researchers Create Bioresorbable 3D Printed Skull Implants

After just under 18 months, the removed cranial bone flap had thinned to only a few millimeters. At this point, the surgeons and the patient opted for an innovative treatment that had not yet been implemented in Europe. Using the patient’s own bone marrow cells, the team created customized 3D biomodels. In cooperation with Zimmer Bionet and Osteopore, the new cranial flap was 3D-printed from bioresorbable materials. Thanks to the combination with the patient’s own bone marrow, the implant is expected to gradually be replaced by natural bone tissue over the coming months and years. Within two years at the latest, no foreign material should remain in the body.

And indeed, the operation was a complete success. Just five minutes after the scalp was closed, the patient woke up – his first reflex was to touch the freshly implanted cranial flap. According to him, the new skull felt “stable and firm.” Christian Hohaus, Chief Senior Physician of Neurosurgery, commented: “Everything went very well, and I am pleased that we can now offer this innovative treatment to our patients in Dessau.”

This operation is not only a breakthrough for the Dessau Hospital but also signals a new era in reconstructive cranial surgery. Similar to the capabilities of 3D printing itself, the method is intended to be patient-specific, biocompatible, and, ideally, fully integrable into the body over the long term.

The research and application of additional bioresorbable implants could significantly expand the scope of neurosurgery in the future, for example, in tumor resections or injuries where conventional methods reach their limits. With this newly established method, surgeons in Dessau now have new options in the service of their patients. More information can be found HERE.

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