Design and production of custom-made prosthetic implants in pectoral reconstruction in patients with Poland syndrome using integrated CAD / CAM systems

1.1. Background Poland Syndrome is a rare congenital condition characterized by deformities affecting soft and skeletal tissues of thorax and ipsilateral upper limb. Psychophysical integrity, especially for young people, is influenced by early diagnosis and an effective therapeutic strategy. Reconstructive surgery is the gold standard treatment and developing custom-made implants could dramatically change the outcomes for those patients. 1.2. Methods The study aims to develop an entire production process which starts from morphological data acquisition to definitive implant production through 3D-printing processes. Data were acquired from 10 male patients affected by Poland Syndrome. 1.3. Results An MRI acquisition protocol was developed, leading to the creation of the first 3D-model and custom-made prototype then evaluated directly on the patient. 1.4. Conclusions Nowadays, impressive personalized healthcare experiences can be achieved with software and 3Dprinting techniques. The advantages of custom-made implants are unquestionable, though a cost-benefit analysis should be evaluated in detail.