Fig 1.
Illustrations of the preoperative designing process.
(a) Reconstruction of chest computed tomography to generate preoperative three-dimensional image. (b) Measuring the length of titanium plate at least three holes on each side of rib fracture. (c) Using a calibre to measure the length of locking screws. (d) Bending the plates to fit the curvature.
Fig 2.
Illustrations of practical use in surgical stabilization of rib fractures.
(a) Marking the annotations of the length of screws. (b) Utilizing the 3D printing model to localize the fracture sites. (c) Intraoperative view of fixed fractures. (d) The postoperative plain film of chest.
Table 1.
Mechanisms, associated injuries, and combined surgeries in patients with surgical stabilization of rib fractures.
Table 2.
Characteristics of patients with and without 3D printing application for surgical stabilization of rib fractures.