Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40195634›Full record

ArticleAsian spine journal2025

Development and validation of a cost-effective three-dimensional-printed cervical spine model for endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy training: a prospective educational study from Turkey.

Bilal Bahadır Akbulut, Elif Ezgi Çenberlitaş, Mustafa Serdar Bölük, Taşkın Yurtseven, Hüseyin Biçeroğlu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Asian spine journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Bilal Bahadır AkbulutDepartment of Neurosurgery, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Elif Ezgi ÇenberlitaşDepartment of Neurosurgery, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Mustafa Serdar BölükDepartment of Neurosurgery, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Taşkın YurtsevenDepartment of Neurosurgery, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Hüseyin BiçeroğluDepartment of Neurosurgery, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.

Funding

Ege University Office 32406
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designExpanding upon established surgical simulation methods, we developed a fused deposition modeling three-dimensional (3D)-printed model of the C1-T1 vertebra for posterior cervical foraminotomy training that features silicone-based neural elements, polyurethane foam-based ligaments, and polyethylene terephthalate glycol vertebrae. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a cost-efficient 3D-printed training model designed to help neurosurgical residents acquire fundamental skills in endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy while addressing the technique's challenging learning curve and limited training resources. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Only a few studies have investigated the efficacy of such a model.

methodsEight neurosurgery residents each with over 2 years of training completed four training sessions on two randomly assigned cervical spine levels using the newly developed 3D-printed model. A simple plumbing endoscope was used for real-time surgical visualization.

resultsAmong the 64 completed surgical levels, left-sided procedures showed significantly higher insufficient decompression rates than did right-sided procedures (25.0% vs. 3.6%, p=0.002). However, no significant difference in overall complication rates was observed between sides (p=0.073). Surgical parameters remained consistent across sides, with no significant differences in operative duration. Brunner-Langer analysis revealed substantial improvements in operative duration (mean duration decrease from 21:42±2:15 to 6:33±0:42 minutes, p=0.004) and total complications (mean decrease from 2.1±0.8 to 0.4±0.5, p=0.007) across sessions. Although fluoroscopy timing showed marginal improvement (mean duration decrease from 2:12±1:15 to 0:55±0:23 minutes, p=0.057), the number of fluoroscopic images tended to decrease.

conclusionsOur findings suggest that this novel 3D-printed cervical spine model could be a viable, low-cost option for neurosurgical training programs aiming to help residents develop essential endoscopic skills in a controlled setting. Facilitating early proficiency in posterior cervical foraminotomy can serve as a valuable intermediate step before transitioning to cadaveric models and clinical practice.

Indexed as

EndoscopesMinimally invasive surgical proceduresResidencySimulation trainingThree-dimensional printing

Identifiers

PMID40195634
PMCPMC12061599

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.