A breakthrough in the training of neurosurgeons was hailed today after London experts created the world’s first 3D-printed model of a toddler’s skull and brain.
The replica, known as “babyMARTYN” after its creator Martyn Cooke, was created by scanning a skull dating from the 1800s held in the Wellcome Museum using a high-definition CT machine at the Natural History Museum.
Surgeons in training practise on donated human cadavers. However, child cadavers are not available, leaving them to practise on adult cadavers or models before taking part in live surgery.
The polyurethane resin model, created by the Royal College of Surgeons, mimics the delicate texture and weight of an 18-month-old child’s skull, while the gelatin-based brain simulates the dimensions and consistency seen in an infant. It includes a brain tumour and fluid on the brain.
Trainees will also use it in the operating theatre before an operation, to become familiar with the procedure under their consultant’s supervision.
Mr Cooke, head of conservation at the RCS, said: “These models signal a breakthrough in the way we train surgeons who operate on very small children.
“[They] should improve the care that children in hospitals receive.”
The idea came after Major David Baxter, a trainee neurosurgeon in the Royal Army Medical Corps, asked the RCS to create a model for surgeons to practise treating adults with head injuries.
Mary Murphy, a consultant neurosurgeon, suggested it would be useful to develop an infant head model.
Miss Murphy said: “Trainees [must] have an opportunity to perfect an operation in a simulated environment.”
