Like other disciplines, the development and progress of cranioplasty and skull repair materials have gone through a tortuous and long process. At first, it was blind to look for skull repair materials. With the deepening of practice, people have gradually deepened their understanding of themselves, the outside world and the relationship between them, and this search has become purposeful and directional. An interesting phenomenon is that the discovery of several better restorative materials benefits from the wide application of this material in the dental field. The progress of science and technology provides convenience for people, but it also puts forward higher requirements, such as the application of CT. Magnetic resonance imaging limits the application of metals and magnets in skull shaping. At present, it is not enough to fill the skull defect, but it is necessary to reconstruct the local anatomical structure of the skull surface. The deepening of bioengineering research and the rapid development of modern materials science provide a broader prospect for the development of skull repair materials.

In recent years, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and other polymer materials have gradually become the latest trend of skull repair materials because of their good biocompatibility, complex plasticity, excellent mechanical properties, good protective performance and high postoperative comfort.

Excerpted from Chinese Journal of Medical History, Volume 30, No.2, April 2000.