Page 185 - Demo

Animal experiment: Radiological analysis of the LPM reattachment1837Fig. 2: Fossa componentThe skull base component consisted of two parts. One part was printed from a medical grade titanium alloy grade 23 extra low interstitials (ELI23), which fit over the glenoid fossa and articular eminence and was screw-fixed to the zygomatic arch. The other part faced the condyle and was made out of a concave computer numeric controlled milled vitamin-E enriched ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which was then ɣ-radiated to increase the amount of crosslinks within the polyethylene. Both parts were connected via non-disclosed pressure, time, and temperature settings in a scaffold layer at the condyle-facing side of the titanium component. The titanium was alumina (550-m grit) micro-shot-peened and oxalic acid etched to promote osseointegration. Fixation was performed using five titanium screws (Gr 5, diameter 2.0 mm, length 5 mm to 13 mm; Surgi-Tec NV, Ghent, Belgium) (Fig 2). In addition to a lattice structure at the bony interface, the ELI-23 titanium alloy ramal component had a large connecting lattice structure in the condylar neck and a tunnel through the condylar neck with a small hooklike extension on the lateral side. The tunnel and hook were used to thread PDS 0 suture material, which was passed through the preserved bony or fibrocartilaginous enthesis of the LPM and fixed to the ‘hook-like’ Nikolas de Meurechy NW.indd 183 05-06-2024 10:14