Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing Of The Maxillofacial Segment Of The Human Skull For Anatomical Education.

BACKGROUNDThree-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as additive manufacturing or digital fabrication, is an emerging technology with diverse applications across multiple industries (Shahrubudin et. al., 2019). Despite its growing adoption, its potential in anatomical education particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria remains underexplored. This study aimed to fabricate a maxillofacial segment of the human skull using 3D printing technology to produce an anatomically accurate, ethically compliant, mobile, biosecure and cost-effective model for educational purposes. METHODOLOGYA Computer-Aided Design (CAD) model of a human skull in Stereolithography (.STL) format was processed using Ultimaker(R) Cura and Microsoft(R) 3D Builder software. The model was then printed using a Creality(R) Ender-3 3D printer with polylactic acid (PLA) filament (1.75 mm) via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). RESULTSThe resulting model demonstrated high fidelity to anatomical structures, confirming the feasibility of 3D printing for producing biosecure, accessible, and ethically non-controversial anatomical models. CONCLUSIONThese findings suggest that 3D printing technology can effectively supplement traditional anatomical education, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to cadavers is limited.