1. Introduction
Cadaveric temporal bones remain the gold-standard for learning temporal
bone surgery, where high-quality training is imperative for ensuring
patient safety. Nonetheless, limited cadaver availability as well as
increasing demand for high-quality training have increased interest in
alternatives to cadaveric dissection.1 3D-printing
(also called additive manufacturing) is a set of promising technologies,
which have been proposed for producing physical models for
simulation-based training of temporal bone surgery.2
Despite that 3D-printed models are thought to hold great potential in
the context of surgical training, systematic implementation into
surgical curricula seems scarce, and evidence on educational
effectiveness is limited.2,3 Poor physical resemblance
and high costs are also substantial barriers to
implementation.4 Only recently has it been documented
that training mastoidectomy on 3D-printed models actually improves
novices’ surgical performance during subsequent cadaveric dissection
(i.e., transfer of skills).5,6
The Copenhagen Temporal Bone model (CTB) is a newly developed model made
in a collaboration between the xxx and xxx. The CTB model was developed
with the goal of creating a cost-effective, high-fidelity 3D-printed
temporal bone model using entry level and commercially available print
technologies. In this technical note, we describe the development and
manufacturing of the CTB and provide directions and key points to enable
other training departments to manufacture their own 3D-printed models
for temporal bone training.