Current implants used in cranioplasty

Abstract

The loss of cranial bone integrity due to a trauma, a surgical intervention, or the natural aging process is a contemporary example of tissue failure, which usually requires the permanent or temporary implantation of a bone substituent and may become challenging in case of large defects. Additionally, the neurosurgical procedures developed for restoring cranium defects require an optimum aesthetic outcome and avoidance of artifacts during imagistic investigations. The current research includes both polymeric materials and ceramics, due to the need for different material delivery forms. Small-sized cranial reconstructions are usually performed with cements, for which the calcium phosphates and other ceramics seem to be a reliable solution, as well as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). However, the larger-sized bone defects are the more challenging applications in cranioplasty. Nowadays, the polyether ether ketone (PEEK) seems to be a reasonably material for large-sized implants, especially for its physical and mechanical characteristics, as well as for its suitability for tridimensional printing techniques, which may allow for better aesthetic outcomes. In the next step, the use of biocomposite materials will also improve a wide set of biomedical applications, due to the large number of properties that may be acquired through proper manufacturing control. Both the structure and the biological behavior may be improved through phases’ variation and filler distribution.