Key points:
- In-house manufacturing of a cost-effective 3D-printed model for
temporal bone training is feasible using inexpensive Material
Extrusion 3D-printing technology.
- 3D-printing temporal bone models requires commitment, knowhow and time
as post-processing and 3D-printer maintenance are required.
- The printing material (i.e., filament) should contain a high load of
chalk or ceramic filler to avoid agglomerating and melting during
drilling. However, this makes the filament fragile and prone to
breaking during printing.
- To avoid the filament from breaking and reducing the need for
maintenance, we recommend installing a direct filament drive and using
a Ruby nozzle.
- The presented workflow enables training institutions to manufacture
their own 3D-printed models to provide ample training opportunity.