Table 1 Summary of methodology
From: Recent advances in 3D printing applications for CNS tumours
Methodology steps | Description |
|---|---|
Literature search | PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library |
Inclusion criteria | Original studies including randomised controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case–control studies, and case series. Studies involving either paediatric and/or adult patients with CNS tumours where 3D printing was applied in surgical planning, tumour modelling, patient-specific implants, or drug delivery systems. Articles written in English |
Exclusion criteria | Non-English studies. Stand-alone abstracts, conference posters, unpublished studies, and non-peer-reviewed papers. Studies without direct application of 3D printing to CNS tumours or those with sample sizes of fewer than five patients in clinical settings or insufficient reproducibility in experimental studies |
Search terms | Key words such as “3D printing,” “bioprinting,” “brain tumours,” “CNS tumours,” “glioblastoma,” “neurosurgery,” “additive manufacturing,” “patient-specific implants,” “3D-printed tumour models,” “biomaterials in neuro-oncology,” “3D-printed scaffolds,” “tumour microenvironment," “personalised medicine in neurosurgery,” “preoperative surgical planning,” “3D-printed chemotherapy implants,” “drug delivery systems in CNS tumours,” “neurosurgical simulation models,” and “customised cranioplasty.” Additional search terms included “tumour modelling,” “brain tumour reconstruction,” “biofabrication for CNS tumours,” “precision oncology with 3D printing,” “polymer-based 3D scaffolds,” “nanoparticle integration in 3D printing,” “MRI-based 3D printing for neurosurgery,” and “hydrogel-based 3D scaffolds.” |
Additional search | A manual search was performed to include references from recently published procedure-specific and disease-specific reviews. Cross-references included studies in neurosurgical innovation, biomaterial sciences, computational modelling in surgical planning, and 3D printing applications in regenerative medicine. Studies integrating biofabrication with immunotherapy and tumour microenvironment research were also explored |
Sample size requirement | No strict sample size requirement |