3D printed skull replacement implanted for the first time ever

A Dutch hospital has successfully performed the first operation replacing a patient’s skull with a 3D-printed version. 3D-printers have previously been used to replace skull fragments, but this is the first time such an extensive area of the cranium - nearly a full hemisphere – has been transplanted.

The 22-year-old patient suffered from a rare disorder that caused the bone in her skull to thicken abnormally, from the normal 1.5cm to 5cm thick. The hospital has waited three months to announce the success of the operation, after checking to see that the patient made a full recovery.

This is a remarkable use of 3D-printing in medicine, but it is only a single example of how the technology’s capacity to quickly and cheaply prototype custom parts is helping patients all over the world.

Doctors are working on 3D-printing everything from prosthetics such as noses and eyes to human skin that replicates not skin tone of the patient but also the surface textures, including wrinkles and veins.

This is yet another 3D printing related story that has appeared in national press. Read the full Independent article here