• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.1-16
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• 2011

This study was intended to develop and suggest 'residents-driven and citizen-participatory restoration procedures' for degraded ecosystems in BaigDooDaeGahn. With some concerns of current engineering-focused restoration approach for damaged ecosystem, the proposed procedures were designed based on the analysis of several case studies on citizen participatory projects such as the Habitat Movement, the Taean tidal wetland restoration effort in Korea, and some historical and innovative cases in Japan and the United States. The suggested procedures were considered to be a dialectical spiral model which was consisted of two goal axis, six system elements, four developmental stages, and five restoration steps. The new system and procedures were applied to damaged farmland areas (about 0.3 ha) on the top of BaigDooDaeGahn, Kangneung city with participation of more than 100 local residents and a dozen of citizen from Seoul. Both high level of possibilities and some barriers for future extended application were identified and adopted for the final version of the proposed procedures for ecological restoration.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.541-546
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• 2012

Objective : The prefabrication of customized cranioplastic implants has been introduced to overcome the difficulties of intra-operative implant molding. The authors present a new technique, which consists of the prefabrication of implant molds using three-dimensional (3D) printers and polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) casting. Methods : A total of 16 patients with large skull defects (>100 $cm^2$) underwent cranioplasty between November 2009 and April 2011. For unilateral cranial defects, 3D images of the skull were obtained from preoperative axial 1-mm spiral computed tomography (CT) scans. The image of the implant was generated by a digital subtraction mirror-imaging process using the normal side of the cranium as a model. For bilateral cranial defects, precraniectomy routine spiral CT scan data were merged with postcraniectomy 3D CT images following a smoothing process. Prefabrication of the mold was performed by the 3D printer. Intraoperatively, the PMMA implant was created with the prefabricated mold, and fit into the cranial defect. Results : The median operation time was $184.36{\pm}26.07$ minutes. Postoperative CT scans showed excellent restoration of the symmetrical contours and curvature of the cranium in all cases. The median follow-up period was 23 months (range, 14-28 months). Postoperative infection was developed in one case (6.2%) who had an open wound defect previously. Conclusion : Customized cranioplasty PMMA implants using 3D printer may be a useful technique for the reconstruction of various cranial defects.