Abstract:Objective To investigate the effectiveness and safety of cranioplasty by using three-dimensional molding materials.Methods The clinical data of 100 patients who underwent cranioplasty by using three-dimensional molding materials in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Material-related complications were defined as implant fracture or exposure.The patients were categorized into none-complication group and complication group according to the occurrence of material-related complication. The prognosis of patients with traumatic brain injury was evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), and the prognosis of patients with cerebral hemorrhage was evaluated using the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The operation time of all patients exceeded five years. After enrollment, telephone follow - up was conducted to collect patients' satisfaction with the restoration of cranial shape and functional recovery after cranioplasty.Results Among 100 patients, material-related complications were found in 12 cases(12.0%), mainly occurring within 1 year after cranioplasty (75.0%). Univariate analysis found that diabetes mellitus, craniectomy for brain injury or cerebral hemorrhage, material for cranioplasty and intraoperative treatment of temporal muscle were associated with the development of complications (all p< 0.05). Craniectomy significantly improved the short- and long-term prognosis (both p < 0.01). Sixty-five percentage of the patients were satisfied with the profile of the cranial, 31.0% of the patients were mostly satisfied and 4% of the patients were dissatisfied. In addition, 48.0% of the patients were very satisfied with neurological recovery after craniectomy, 43.0% were mostly satisfied and 9.0% were dissatisfied. Conclusion According to the long-term follow-up, we found that three-dimensional molding material displays a more effective and safe result for cranioplasty. The material-related complications should be paid more attention during cranioplasty by the neurosurgeon.