Customized polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cranial repair system implants used in cranioplasty after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). 

Mohan G. Aurel1, Ghiurău N. Adrian1, Vlad S. Valentin1, Herciu Alexandru1.

1)Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Surgical Disciplines, Romania,

E-mail: a)mohanaurel@yahoo.com / Tel.: 0040740514636

Cranioplasty represents the surgical procedure to repair a defect of the skull bone. The loss of cranial bone integrity due to a trauma or injury of the head is a contemporary example of tissue failure, which usually requires the permanent or temporary implantation of a bone substituent and may become challenging in case of large defects. Our paper presents a study regarding post-traumatic cranioplasty using polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants. The aim of this study is to report the using of polyetheretherketone (Peek) implants in cranioplasty with biomaterials after severe traumatic brain injury, for patients with decompressive craniectomies.

​The implant allows the replacement of the bone gaps of the patient's craniofacial skeleton. The implant is modeled and sized to fit the individual anatomy of each patient. The implant is designed with a software, after receiving the patient's CT scan and made of polyetheretherketone (Peek), being supplied as a single component or as multiple components. The implant is attached to the native bone with self-locking plates or fixed using standard cranial fixation systems or using standard titanium screws.

We reviewed a number of 17 cases which were subjected to cranial reconstruction following traumatic brain injury. A total of 17 patients, 11 males and 6 females, aged between 19 and 54 years, underwent elective delayed cranioplasty surgery to achieve morphological and functional rehabilitation of the cranial vault performed during the period from 1st January 2020 to 31stDecember 2024. All surgeries were performed in accordance with the widely-accepted indications for cranioplasty and all patients were admitted on the Neurosurgical Department of Bihor County Emergency Hospital. Biomaterials implants are a safe and time effective way to reconstruct cranial defects following severe traumatic brain injury. Among the advantages of polyetheretherketone implants is their‘s nonferromagnetic capacity which permits the safe examination in magnetic resonance imaging high field, useful for long-term follow-up. Prefabricated Peek implants were effective for cranioplasty, reducing surgical time, surgical blood loss and technical simplicity. There were no infected implants and none of the patients required a second surgery.

​Biomaterials represent a tremendous leap forward in the surgical management of skull deformities. Biomaterials implants are extremly effective for cranioplasty. These implants also contribute in a special way to the social reintegration of these patients, the psychological component having an essential role in their recovery and helping the patients to return to normal activities.