3D Printed Surgical Models

Complex surgical procedures are difficult to train with computer generated simulations due to the dexterity required by surgeons. In some cases, physical models cannot be matched, however commercially avaialble models are expensive and often oversimplified to be easily mass producable. This project investigates 3D printing and silicone casting as a means of producing highly accurate surgical models with realistic anatomy and tactile feel.

Research Aims

• To investigate ways of using 3D printing to produce highly realistic surgical models
• To assess which surgical specialisms can benefit from physical anatomical models for simulation training
• To evaluate the benefit of physical models for training surgeons in complex procedures
• To identify affordable and easily workable materials that can realistically simulate the properties of soft tissues

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery

The first model I was involed in creating was a simulation of a carpal tunnel patient. In carpal tunnel syndrome, the transverse carpal ligament traps and exerts pressure on the median nerve, so it must be cut open to release pressure on the nerve. To do this, an incision is made in the palm of the hand and the ligament cut from below. A CT scan of a real hand was used to create a skeleton and skin model, which were composited together to make a mould that could accommodate 3D printed plastic bones. A section of the palm of the hand was then cut away and redesigned to feature the major tissue layers that a surgeon would expect to encounter whilst making their incision: skin; superficial fat; fascia; deep fat; ligament; and muscle. A nerve was pre-cast and inserted under the ligament before casting. The model is currently undergoing being validated with hand surgeons at several London hospitals.