New study shows how 3D printing can enhance face transplant process

The development of relatively new medical field of face transplants could be accelerated through the use of the latest computed tomography (CT) and 3D printing technology.

A new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston has shown how these innovations can be used to recreate life-size models of patients' heads, for use in the planning of face transplantation surgery.

For this research, patients underwent preoperative CT with 3D visualisation, with the images then segmented and processed using customised software, creating specialized data files that were input into a 3D printer.

This method was shown to provide superior preoperative data, allowing complex anatomy and bone defects to be better appreciated and anticipated, thereby reducing total procedure time.

Dr Frank Rybicki, radiologist and director of the hospital's applied imaging science laboratory, said: "Our study demonstrated that if you use this model and hold the skull in your hand, there is no better way to plan the procedure."

This study sheds further light on the numerous medical applications of 3D printing technology, which can also be used to create customised implants and devices tailored to patients' anatomies.