Stereolithography (medicine)

Stereolithographic model of a skull, using an infrared system

Stereolithographic models have been used in medicine since the 1990s, for creating 3D corporeal models of various anatomical regions of a patient, based on datasets from CT-scans.

Usage

• Stereolithographic models have been used in medicine, in order to provide surgeons a better 3D image of the anatomical situation of a patient, before the operation. With the advent of improved 3D computer reconstruction, based on datasets recorded from the patient, the stereolithographic models are nowadays less used for this purpose.
• Stereolithographic models are used as models for preoperative planning, for example by recreating osteotomies with repositioning of the fragments.
• The surgical result regarding the position of bone autotransplants or after the osteosynthesis of bone fractures can be foreseen using stereolithographic models.

Medical stereolithographic models today

Due to high costs and improvements of simulations and virtual models, physical stereolithographical models are gradually being replaced by virtual models for some applications.^{[citation needed]}

Manufacturing particularity

Because the materials used for stereolithographic models suffer from a normal shrinkage phenomenon during polymerisation, the starting-point model should be a little bit bigger than the original CT dataset would indicate.

References

• Klimek L, Klein HM, Schneider W, Mosges R, Schmelzer B, Voy ED: Stereolithographic modelling for reconstructive head surgery. Acta Oto-Rhino-Laryngologica Belgica. 47(3):329-34, 1993

• Bouyssie JF, Bouyssie S, Sharrock P, Duran D: Stereolithographic models derived from x-ray computed tomography. Reproduction accuracy. Surgical & Radiologic Anatomy. 19(3):193-9, 1997