3D Modeling and Printing Technologies in Neurosurgery

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology introduced by Charles Hull in 1986 (Figure 1) 1. Recently it has gradually penetrated into the field of clinical medicine and it has been used to various medical applications, as creating accurate models of individual patient anatomy for patient education, as visual aids during surgery and for surgery training / planning, and as patient specific phantoms 1. This letter aims to highlight the merits new technology of 3D-printing to create patient-specific solutions for neurosurgery defects, and this generated great interest in the development of new technologies and new education. In addition, spine surgeons, orthopedics, neurosurgeons and researchers are appearing on the letter.