PEEK skull implant – Example 41

The 41st case of PEEK cranial implant patient is very representative, and the PEEK implant was prepared by M3 3D printer and FFF fuse manufacturing technology for cranial repair

Case 41 PEEK Skull Implant: The Miracle of Remodeling the Skull

PEEK (polyetheretherketone) is a polymer material that has many significant advantages as a skull repair material. First of all, PEEK material has excellent biocompatibility, good compatibility with human tissues, and can naturally blend into surrounding tissues after implantation, reducing the risk of foreign body reactions. In contrast to titanium alloys, which may cause allergic reactions to metals in rare cases, PEEK is rarely the case.

PEEK's 3D printing is perfect. It can be customized according to the patient's skull defect, completely restore the curvature of the physiological structure of the skull, etc., and fit the defect area tightly, PEEK material has the characteristics of radiation transmission. This means that imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) have little to no impact. In contrast, titanium alloys, as metallic materials, may cause some interference when MRI is performed.

PEEK material has good thermal insulation. Titanium alloy has high thermal conductivity and no thermal insulation performance, which can easily cause brain tissue to be sensitive and uncomfortable to the external cold and hot environment. PEEK, on the other hand, has better performance, which is basically equivalent to that of the human skull, and can effectively prevent intracranial temperature imbalance.

The elastic modulus of PEEK is close to that of human bone, matching the elastic modulus of surrounding bones, helping to reduce stress concentrations. Whereas, titanium alloys have a relatively high modulus of elasticity, which can lead to stress concentrations.

PEEK material requires relatively little fixation, generally 4-5 points are sufficient. In terms of rejection, it is found that its rejection is still relatively low, and there are few postoperative rejections and postoperative repair materials exposed.

In short, PEEK material, as a skull repair material, can effectively repair skull defects and provide patients with a better postoperative quality of life due to its advantages of good biocompatibility, perfect 3D printing shaping, radiation-transmittability, good thermal insulation, and elastic modulus close to that of human bones.

Among the many successful cases of PEEK cranial implants, the 41st case of PEEK skull implant patient is very representative, using M3 3D printer and FFF fuse fabrication technology to prepare PEEK implants for cranial repair. This technique can increase the overall curvature of the PEEK implant, reduce edge thickness, and allow the implant to fit the patient's skull better, allowing the patient to recover well after surgery without complications such as fever or wound infection. CT scans and 3D reconstructions of the head showed that the PEEK implant was well shaped and satisfactory in appearance.

This case fully demonstrates the advantages and good results of PEEK cranial implants in the repair of skull defects. Compared with traditional manufacturing processes, FFF-printed PEEK cranial implants have the characteristics of high strength, high toughness, and good cranioplasty compatibility; At the same time, the production process cost is low, which can meet the clinical needs of cranioplasty.

Effect of PEEK cranial implants

Compared with traditional materials, it has obvious advantages, such as compared with titanium mesh, it is more tightly bonded, which can meet the needs of anatomical symmetry and reduce the risk of infection and complications.

PEEK cranial implants offer significant advantages over traditional titanium mesh materials. Firstly, from the perspective of the degree of tightness, the titanium mesh may not be tightly integrated with the skull after implantation, while the PEEK implant analyzes the deviation between the design model and the printed implant through the built-in material software, and compares the integration degree of the skull titanium mesh made by stereolithography technology with the PEEK implant from different angles, and finds that the PEEK implant is more tightly bonded to the skull and can achieve the need for anatomical symmetry. Secondly, in terms of infection risk and complications, the PEEK implant is fixed directly to the skull with a titanium nail during surgery, which not only shortens the operation time, but also reduces the surgical cost and the risk of infection and related complications of the implant. In contrast, titanium mesh, as a metal material, may cause chronic pain and subcutaneous fluid accumulation in patients, and will also affect various medical examinations in the future, such as CT MRI will appear artifacts, causing diagnostic interference. In addition, PEEK material has the advantages of high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, radiation transparency, complex shaping, and can avoid complications of titanium mesh and other materials after surgery.