Polymethyl Methacrylate Custom-Made Prosthesis: A Novel Three-Dimension Printing-Aided Fabrication Technique for Cranial and/or Orbital Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Over the years, many materials have been used in orbital reconstruction and cranioplasty. Among the materials in current use, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) offers a high degree of compatibility with human tissue.

OBJECTIVE: This work describes a new, custom-made, 3D printing-aided, prosthetic fabrication process for orbital and/or cranial reconstruction using PMMA.

METHODS: On the basis of information obtained from computerized tomography scanning processed in Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine format and exported to treatment planning software, a 3D prosthesis master model was designed and digitally printed. This was then used to create an injection mold from which the prosthesis was cast in PMMA and implanted in the patient. Five patients with cranial and/or orbital defects of tumoral or traumatic etiology were treated by this method. After 5 to 7 years follow-up, no complications occurred to cause the removal of the prostheses.

CONCLUSION: This novel method makes it possible to produce customized PMMA prostheses to treat orbital and/or cranial defects that are cost-effective and individualized to each case.