Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDActa otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale
Are 3D-printed temporal bone models the future of otologic surgical training? A national multicentre validation study.
31 affiliations
- 1Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
- 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pavia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
- 3Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
- 4Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy.
- 5Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eastern Piedmont University, Ospedale Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy.
- 6ENT and Audiology Unit, Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
- 7Otolaryngology, Audiology, and Phoniatrics Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
- 8Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
- 9Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Cagliari, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
- 10Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Audiology and Phoniatrics Unit, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.
- 11Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
- 12Department of Otolaryngology, University G. D'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
- 13Otolaryngology Department, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
- 14Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico ''Paolo Giaccone'', University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
- 15Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "GF Ingrassia" E.N.T. Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
- 16Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- 17Unit of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometrics, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
- 18Audiology Section "Federico II", Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry Department, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
- 19Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
- 20Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Enna "Kore", Enna, Italy; Department of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
- 21Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
- 22Unit of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
- 23Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology and Otoneurosurgery, University of Parma, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy.
- 24Otorhinolaryngology Unit, Head and Neck Department, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo Hospital, Milan, Italy.
- 25Otolaryngology Unit, Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neurosciences (DiBraiN), University "Aldo Moro" of Bari, Bari, Italy.
- 26Department of Medicine & Surgery, Section of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
- 27Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- 28Department of Otolaryngology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
- 29Otolaryngology Department, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy.
- 30Unit of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Brescia, Italy.
- 31Section of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Neuroscience-DNS, Azienda Ospedale Università di Padova, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Abstract
Objective
To validate a novel 3D-printed temporal bone model as an acceptable substitute for cadaveric human temporal bones in otosurgical training.Methods
A 3D-printed healthy temporal bone model was evaluated by 54 otosurgeons (27 experienced and 27 trainees) from Italian universities. Participants performed dissections on the model and completed a 27-question survey comparing the synthetic model with the cadaveric one. The primary outcome was the percentage of average total scores exceeding 3, with acceptability set at > 70%.Results
Overall, 80.9% (p < 0.001) of participants rated the model as comparable to the cadaveric temporal bone (average total score exceeding 3). High scores were observed for "usefulness as a training tool", "task-based usefulness" and "overall reactions" domains with an average total score exceeding 3 in 95.8% (p < 0.001), 83.2% (p < 0.001), and 79% (p = 0.004) of questionnaires respectively. No significant differences were found between experienced and trainee surgeons' evaluations.Conclusions
3D-printed temporal bone models are a viable, cost-effective, and customisable training tool comparable to cadavers. The realism of the soft tissues still needs to be refined in order to better mimic cadaveric specimens.
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BibTeX
@article{canzi20263dprinted,
title = {{Are 3D-printed temporal bone models the future of otologic surgical training? A national multicentre validation study.}},
author = {Pietro Canzi and Ilaria Ottoboni and Stefania Marconi and Ferdinando Auricchio and Matteo Alicandri-Ciufelli and Paolo Aluffi Valletti and Michela Borin and Luca Bruschini and Andrea Canale and Elena Carlotto and Filippo Carta and Giuseppe Chiarella and Edoardo Covelli and Adelchi Croce and Stefano Di Girolamo and Francesco Dispenza and Salvatore Ferlito and Ignacio Javier Fernandez and Virginia Valeria Ferretti and Anna Rita Fetoni and Lorenzo Maria Gaini and Cosimo Galletti and Annalisa Gatto and Andrea Laborai and Enrico Liaci and Simone Mauramati and Antonia Pisani and Nicola Quaranta and Giampietro Ricci and Francesca Yoshie Russo and Bruno Sergi and Davide Soloperto and Michele Tomasoni and Elisabetta Zanoletti and Marco Benazzo},
journal = {Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.14639/0392-100x-a1813},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42969779},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Are 3D-printed temporal bone models the future of otologic surgical training? A national multicentre validation study.
AU - Pietro Canzi
AU - Ilaria Ottoboni
AU - Stefania Marconi
AU - Ferdinando Auricchio
AU - Matteo Alicandri-Ciufelli
AU - Paolo Aluffi Valletti
AU - Michela Borin
AU - Luca Bruschini
AU - Andrea Canale
AU - Elena Carlotto
AU - Filippo Carta
AU - Giuseppe Chiarella
AU - Edoardo Covelli
AU - Adelchi Croce
AU - Stefano Di Girolamo
AU - Francesco Dispenza
AU - Salvatore Ferlito
AU - Ignacio Javier Fernandez
AU - Virginia Valeria Ferretti
AU - Anna Rita Fetoni
AU - Lorenzo Maria Gaini
AU - Cosimo Galletti
AU - Annalisa Gatto
AU - Andrea Laborai
AU - Enrico Liaci
AU - Simone Mauramati
AU - Antonia Pisani
AU - Nicola Quaranta
AU - Giampietro Ricci
AU - Francesca Yoshie Russo
AU - Bruno Sergi
AU - Davide Soloperto
AU - Michele Tomasoni
AU - Elisabetta Zanoletti
AU - Marco Benazzo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale
DO - 10.14639/0392-100x-a1813
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42969779
AB - Objective To validate a novel 3D-printed temporal bone model as an acceptable substitute for cadaveric human temporal bones in otosurgical training.Methods A 3D-printed healthy temporal bone model was evaluated by 54 otosurgeons (27 experienced and 27 trainees) from Italian universities. Participants performed dissections on the model and completed a 27-question survey comparing the synthetic model with the cadaveric one. The primary outcome was the percentage of average total scores exceeding 3, with acceptability set at > 70%.Results Overall, 80.9% (p < 0.001) of participants rated the model as comparable to the cadaveric temporal bone (average total score exceeding 3). High scores were observed for "usefulness as a training tool", "task-based usefulness" and "overall reactions" domains with an average total score exceeding 3 in 95.8% (p < 0.001), 83.2% (p < 0.001), and 79% (p = 0.004) of questionnaires respectively. No significant differences were found between experienced and trainee surgeons' evaluations.Conclusions 3D-printed temporal bone models are a viable, cost-effective, and customisable training tool comparable to cadavers. The realism of the soft tissues still needs to be refined in order to better mimic cadaveric specimens.
SN - 0392-100X
SN - 1827-675X
ER -