Feasibility of Easy to Use and Inexpensive Three-Dimensional Printed Educational Model of Temporal Bone: Practiced Without Drilling

OBJECTIVE Three-dimensional (3D) printed temporal bone model draws great attention as a promising alternative for conventional cadaveric model in education of otologic surgery. However, its high price and requirement for specialized tools hinder widespread use. We devised a simple educational model based on lattice structure to overcome these problems and compared it with a commercial model. METHODS We converted high-resolution temporal bone computed tomography images into stereolithography format, and printed it using the G005 3D printing system from CUBICON©. In this process, the part to be drilled out was made of lattice structure. We evaluated the model by a questionnaire prepared in advance, and compared the results with those of a commercial model. RESULTS We created an educational 3D printed temporal bone lattice model one-tenth the cost of commercial temporal bone. Our model reproduced the important structures of the temporal bone, produced less dust, and had similar strength and grinding sensation compared to the commercial model. The surface texture and reproducibility were comparable to the commercial model. Although most of structures were remodeled more elaborately in the commercial model than our model, our model demonstrated significant potential as a cost-effective educational tool for medical students and residents. CONCLUSION 3D printed temporal bone lattice model has potential for widespread use due to low cost and easy accessibility. Further improvements in the fine structures of the temporal bone are necessary to enhance its utility as an educational model.