Customized Facial Implants

Liciane Sabadin Bertol, Fabio Pinto Silva, Wilson Kindlein Junior

Abstract

The increase in life expectancy and a great number of accidents lead to higher demand for medical products, including corrective implants. Patients with tumors or traumas need to replace injured areas in order to restore their aesthetic and structural function. Currently, the available craniofacial implants present a standard geometry and seldom generate satisfactory results. Customized implants, on the other hand, are designed to conform exactly to individual patient’s anatomy. This way, the use of customized implants can show beneficial effects to the patient and the surgical team. In this study, the design and manufacturing of customized implant prior to surgery were described. Implant shape and functional requirements were established by digital data based on CT-scans and mirroring operations. The design process of customized mandible prosthesis is illustrated as well as its manufacturing process (direct metal laser sintering) and quality control. Laser sintering process and its constraints for the production of customized implants in titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) with complex geometry and internal structures are reported.
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