World's First 3D Regenerative Implant and Regenerative Surgical Technique To Regrow Man's Skull

August 4,2020

Osteopore International Pte Ltd, a Singapore-headquartered company leading the way in regenerative bone implants, is proud to announce the success of its technology in a new medical procedure that took place in Brisbane, Australia, in December last year. Pioneered by surgeon Dr. Michael Wagels, Deputy Director of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Princess Alexandra Hospital, the 11-hour surgery involved the implantation of Osteopore's 3D printed bioresorbable polycaprolactone (PCL) regenerative bone implant, using an innovative surgical technique that transplants a tissue flap from the patient's knee, and was performed on Mr. Brodie Ellis to encourage the regrowth of parts of his skull. 

The cranioplasty procedure called for a patient-specific customised implant, which was designed by the Osteopore team using the patient's CT scan in consultation with Dr. Wagels. Sitting perfectly on the contour of Ellis' skull, the biomimetic structure of the 3D printed regenerative implant introduced a patented, interconnected porous scaffold that mimics the natural cancellous bone microstructure. This mesh-like structure promotes blood vessel infiltration which is paramount to bone and tissue regrowth. The PCL material of the implant is designed to be then gradually resorbed and metabolised by the body over an 18 to 24 months period, with no foreign material left in the skull once healing is complete.

Case Study: Mr. Brodie Ellis' Motorcycle Accident

In December 2018, Mr. Brodie Ellis, a 26-year-old Australian man, had suffered a Stage 4 brain injury and a severely broken leg from a motorcycle accident in Vietnam. On top of having to amputate his left leg, the accident had also left him having to remove and replace certain parts of his skull with plastic implants.

Unfortunately, according to Dr. Wagels, "one of the [plastic] implants [had become] exposed and developed an infection. Because the implant had no blood supply, the infection just kept getting worse and worse, so it had to be removed. This left Brodie with headaches and a contour deformity of the skull."

To treat these problems, Dr. Wagels decided to recommend Ellis a cranioplasty procedure that would use Osteopore's 3D printed implant to replace the section of missing skull. This PCL bone implant would have the ability to encourage natural bone regrowth, thereafter disintegrating into carbon dioxide and water with no foreign material left in the skull, reducing post-surgical or removal surgery complications and significantly minimising infection rates.