Geometrical accuracy evaluation of an affordable 3D printing technology for spine physical models.

Objective: The aim of the study is to develop a workflow to establish geometrical quality criteria for 3D printed anatomical models as a guidance for selecting the most suitable 3D printing technologies available in a clinical environment.

Methods: We defined the 3D geometry of a 25-year-old male patient's L4 vertebra and the geometry was then printed using two technologies, which differ in printing resolution and affordability: Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Digital Light Processing (DLP). In order to measure geometrical accuracy, the 3D scans of two physical models were compared to the virtual input model.