Stereolithographic models

Stereolithography

Stereolithography is an additive manufacturing technology for producing models, prototypes, patterns, and in some cases, production parts.-Technology description:...

 have been used in medicine since the 1990s, for creating 3D

Three-dimensional space

Three-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...

 corporeal

Corporeal

Corporeal may refer to:*Corporeal undead, See also: :Category:Corporeal undead*Matter *Body, of or relating to the body*Corporeal...

 models of various anatomical regions of a patient, based on datasets from CT

Computed tomography

X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...

-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
  Osteosynthesis
  Osteosynthesis is the reduction and fixation of a bone fracture with implantable devices that are usually made of metal. It is a surgical procedure with an open or percutaneous approach to the fractured bone. Osteosynthesis aims to bring the fractured bone ends together and immobilize the fracture...
  
   of bone fractures can be foreseen using stereolithographic models.

Medical stereolithographic models today

Due to high costs and progressive replacement by virtual models, corporeal stereolithographical models in medicine have lost their sense, in a certain manner.

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

Computed tomography

X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...

 dataset would indicate.