Validation of the simulation implant design approach based on ct scan images and the biomechanical performance response of rehabilitated skull bones

Appropriate cranial implants are essential due to a worldwide population that is aging and the rising incidence of trauma. One key element affecting cranial implants' performance is their biomechanical behavior in human skull bones. This paper describes a high-quality cranial implant design approach for the defective skull based on computed tomography CT scan images and the biomechanical performance analysis of rehabilitation human skull bones. The valuable contribution of this work is the effective utilization of finite element analysis FEA to contrast the material behaviors of Polymethylmethacrylate PMMA cranial implants and autologous skull bone during rehabilitation as exposed to external trauma. The external loads applied in the implant's center are attached to a damaged cranium (300, 600, and 1000 N). The findings indicated that the equivalent stresses of PMMA are close to the skull bone. Minimum and maximum Von Mises stresses are (13 and 47 MPa) when employing a PMMA implant material and (12 and 41 MPa) when utilizing autologous skull bone at the lowest and highest level of applied force (300 and 1000 N), respectively. In terms of deformation distribution (0.02 and 0.03 mm) at applying 300 N, approximately six times the weight of a human head when the reconstruction is performed by skull bone and PMMA, respectively. So, this study will offer an insightful look at the neurocranial protection of PMMA implants that provide the coupling of skull bone-PMMA cranial implant, which guarantees adequate protection for the internal structures of the restored area similar to the autologous skull bone.