Plastic skull gives patients a head start

Cranial implants can now be made using laser sintering

Specialist physicians are developing a next generation treatment for head trauma – a special skull prosthesis made of plastic. The process aims to help people who suffer life-threatening injuries inflicted during car accidents.

Depending on the severity of the accident, head injuries can affect areas that vary in size and from one patient to another. Using laser sintering, customised cranial implants can be produced to cover only the affected areas of the skull.

According to the European research project, Custom IMD, this special construction method allows for the creation of complex structures, which better stimulate bone recovery compared with conventionally-manufactured implants.

The production of the prosthesis is automated and can be done within a few hours. The surgeon only needs to send the patient's MRI scan to a computer which then takes over the operation.

Custom IMD has 22 partners from seven countries involved Rapra Technology in the UK.