Materials


While PEEK implants have been made by more traditional methods, such as milling, for many years, 3D printing has emerged as a way to create patient-specific PEEK implants without long lead times. While it is not as established as more traditional manufacturing methods, the first FDA- cleared, additively manufactured PEEK cranial implant system for cranioplasty procedures has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and could open the door to more 3D-printed PEEK cranial implants being used in clinical settings.


3D-printed PEEK cranioplasty PEEK implants are used to reconstruct cranial defects that can occur after decompressive craniotomies performed after trauma. For patients with large cranial defects, surgeons seek an anatomical reconstruction that protects the brain while also being aesthetically pleasing and restores the shape of the skull after surgery. The integration of PEEK implants has typically followed the same process as other personalised and patient-specific implants. Patients are scanned using a CT scanner and a reconstruction of the affected area is built into a 3D model. Whether it is 3D printing or another patient-specific manufacturing technique, this is an important stage as it directly determines what implant is built for the patient’s


Medical polyether ether ketone market Market size in $bn


1.244 0.741 CAGR 7.7%


2025 Source: P&S Intelligence


individual needs. The implant is then designed and manufactured based on this model and reviewed by surgeons before being produced and surgically implanted.


“PEEK is not the easiest material to work with, but its properties have meant that significant interest has emerged in creating 3D-printed PEEK implants.”


3D printing has become a much more viable approach for the personalised care market as the


2032


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Ceramics are used when all other materials fail. maxon develops and produces precision ceramic components for your medical devices. For more information: ceramic.maxongroup.com


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