Results of cranioplasty using individual titanium implants

Background. Despite its long history, cranioplasty remains a topical problem of neurosurgery, due to the increasing number of traumatic brain injury, the consequences of which are the main driver in preserving the population of patients with postcranioectomy skull defects. As a rule, these defects are extensive, and the use of individual implants in these cases is the method of choice. Over the past 5 years, the use of products created by medical additive manufacturing has increased, in this regard, the assessment of long-term results of surgical interventions with their use is an actual issue of modern medicine. Aim. To evaluate the results of surgical treatment of patients with skull defects of various etiologies using individual titanium implants made by three-dimensional printing. Materials and methods. The study analyzed 94 cases of cranioplasty using individual titanium implants made by three-dimensional printing using DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) technology. The minimum follow-up period was 12 months from the moment of the intervention. Traumatic brain injury and its consequences was the dominant cause of skull bone defects ( n = 56, 59.6 %). The average area of defects in the study group was 99.2 ± 43.4 cm 2 . For men ( n = 53), this parameter corresponded to 106.7 ± 44.7 cm 2 , for women ( n = 41) – 89.5 ± 40.1 cm 2 . Results. The total number of complications in the study group was 12 (12.7 %) cases, of which 5 (5.3 %) cases were recorded during the in hospital stay of patients, 7 (7.4 %) – during outpatient follow-up. One complication was not related to the performed surgical intervention. Removal of the implant was required in 7 (7.4 %) cases. The terms of implant removal varied from 0 to 14 months from the moment of the performed intervention. The survival rate of individual titanium implants for more than 12 months was 92.6 %. Conclusion. The data on the presence of complications after cranioplasty vary from study to study, while the results of reconstructive interventions performed using individual titanium implants are of significant interest, the use of which has increased significantly over the past five years due to the introduction of additive medical production into clinical practice.