For some reason, I understood this headline as "75% of a human brain replaced with 3D-printed material". I must say it left me perplexed for a few seconds… (maybe my brain could be replaced by 3D-printed material after all…)

I assume the answer is no, but there's no mention on any of the articles I've read as to whether this was cosmetic.

Who in their right mind would want a cosmetic skull replacement?

Dunno, mine is a bit lopsided.

Anyone with a severe cranial bone deformity, such as the elephant man, perhaps?

I wonder if 3D printing will have an effect on cosmetic plastic surgery one day

Plastic surgery, oddly enough, contains no plastic.

The word "plastic" in plastic surgery refers to plasticity - the ability of an object to be reshaped or reformed.

Quite possibly. I think we'd just call it 'automated plastic surgery', though.

There'll be a booth on every street corner, just like phone boxes. Just swipe your phone to pay, then design a new look, or choose from a list of 'looks you might like'. Minutes later you'll be a new person...

mmh, I wonder about plastic leaking pseudo-hormones to the capillaries surrounding the brain, or simply about to lean for several hours in a beach over hot sun if you have a "plastic roof"...

The question is what 3d-printed material I suppose... an interesting idea in any case

Sadly the material is not adamantium.

Unfortunately, metal implants in the body still cause long-term problems and inflammation in the surrounding area. Otherwise, they could have used laser sintering to make a adamantium skull.

Do you have more details on that? I've got long-term metal implants in my bones, I thought it was routine.

Metal implants are routine, and usually the "best of the alternatives" in implant design. The body generally tries to isolate metal implants, making them mostly inert, although this does depend a bit on which metal.

The main problems with metal implants are that the can shed ions that accumulate in some people, and that wear particles can cause psuedo-tumors. This is mainly a problem with metal-on-metal joint surfaces (ie in knee or hip replacements). Some more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_replacement#Risks_and_compl...

And 3D printed, titanium implants have already been made over a year ago http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57372095-76/3d-printer-pro... http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=230500&dfp...

I actually would have thought that titanium would be the go-to for orthopeadic plates in the skull. I would have thought plastics aren't stiff enough and ceramics too brittle.

I wonder if the increased thermal conductivity of titanium over plastic was a consideration. I can see how having a skull plate that heats/cools much faster than surrounding bone could be a problem.

Fossils just got a lot more interesting.