Cranial Implants PEEK

PEEK is currently the material of choice for the reconstruction of large cranial defects with a patient-specific inlay implant.

Besides the perfect fit, unique fixation and suture method (see below) and perfect cosmetic reconstruction, the advantages of PEEK are:

  • Mechanical properties comparable to bone
  • Excellent biocompatibility
  • Can be modified interoperatively
  • Compatible with CT, MRI and radiation therapy
  • Inlay implant to mimic bone thickness and restore intercranial pressure
  • Autoclave (steam) sterilisation and re-sterilisation

Indications

  • Calvarial reconstructions after decompressive craniectomy; tumour or aneurysm surgery
  • Resorption of autologous bone graft
  • Cranial reconstruction in patients with an increased risk for bone resorption
  • Failure of PMMA cranioplasty

Innovative InterFix technology: Place, Drill & Fixate

Our patented tangential fixation technology InterFix eliminates the need for additional plating and fixation systems and offers a fixation mechanism that is not palpable by the patient.

  • the ideal screw locations, directions and screw lengths are pre-planned, based on the shape and thickness of the patient’s bone.
  • the screws are directed tangentially into the bone. Therefore, the fixation is completely impalpable.
  • only few screws are required (on average only 5-9 screws for a large calvarial implant). No plates needed.

During surgery, the implant is placed into the defect, holes are pre-drilled into the cortical bone and a screw is positioned into each hole. Advice on maximum screw length may be engraved next to the fixation holes. 

Suits your suture: XSuture

While working closely with surgeons on our Patient-Specific cranial Implants, we noticed that stitching the temporal muscle to the implant is not easy; once the implant is placed and fixated (preferably using InterFix technology) it is impossible to use curved suture needles through the holes in the implant. So in order to suspend the temporal muscle, the surgeon would have to provide sutures already through the PSI before placing it. Being the specialist in custom implants, we thought this could be improved! So we developed XSuture (patented technology).

XSuture is an X-shaped hole in the implant that not only provides access to the inside of the implant (to suspend the dura), but it also allows surgeons to stitch soft tissues to the implant áfter it is fixated.
XSuture allows the use of every common curved suture needle, so it really suits your suture!