Skull Development Simulation Model for Craniosynostosis Surgery Planning

Abstract

Craniosynostosis occurs when one or more skull sutures fuse prematurely, resulting in an abnormal skull shape. Surgery is usually performed not only for cosmetic reasons, but also to avoid a rise in intracranial pressure. Currently, surgeons use their clinical expertise and experience to decide how they will reshape the skull when doing a total or partial vault remodeling. However, after surgery, the skull will continue to grow, and therefore the shape of it will change. There are currently no tools to visualize the results of the planned surgery. The aim of the present study was to develop an algorithm to simulate skull development for the first few months after birth, leading to a platform for planning craniosynostosis modelling. We have extended our previous pressure-based model to a force-based model, to stabilize the skull growth simulation algorithm. The results of our normal skull simulation are shown to be in line with clinical datasets, and the results of abnormal skull growth simulations were much better than previous models.

In silico approach towards neuro‐occlusal rehabilitation for the early correction of asymmetrical development in a unilateral crossbite patient

“…29 In particular, craniofacial biomechanics' studies use FE analysis mainly to quantify stresses and displacements in the skull, teeth, soft tissues or along the mandible. This method was first introduced into craniofacial research in 1973 38,39 and since then it has been extensively applied in several research topics to analyse the biomechanical response during the paediatric skull's growth, 31,[40][41][42][43][44] TMJ 45,46 or tooth movements, [47][48][49][50] head injuries, [51][52][53][54] the application of orthopaedic forces 55,56 or the inclusion of orthodontic implants, [57][58][59] brackets and wire. [60][61][62] Thereafter, many computational studies [29][30][31][32] have tried to explain the craniofacial growth according to the stresses and deformations of the tissues of the stomatognathic system.…”