Custom-made or customisable 3D printed implants and cutting guides versus non-3D printed standard implants and cutting guides for improving outcome in patients undergoing knee, maxillofacial, or cranial surgery

This assessment is a product of DEFACTUMs long term participation in EUnetHTA, a HTA collaboration supported by the EU. The aim of this collaborative assessment was to evaluate the relative effectiveness and safety of using 3D printed custom-made or customisable implants and cutting-guides in patients undergoing knee, maxillofacial, or cranial surgery. The relative effectiveness assessment (REA) sought to evaluate the three fields of knee, maxillofacial and cranial surgery separately based on a systematic literature review for each field. The comparators for the analysis were standard implants and cutting guides or in cases were 3D printed implants or cutting guides were the only alternative, the comparator was "no treatment". The fields of knee, maxillofacial and cranial surgery were chosen because they were identified as the fields were 3D printed implants and cutting guides are used most widespread.