After a fall from the third story building left him with part of his skill missing, a 46-year-old farmer in China will have his head reconstituted thanks to a custom-made implant created by a three-dimensional printer. 

The implant will be a mesh made of titanium, a super-strong metal often used in medical procedures. 

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The man, identified as Hu, is from the from the former imperial capital of Xi'an in China's central Shaanxi Province. He was working at a construction site when the building he was in collapsed from underneath him. A beam struck Hu in the head, sending him falling to the ground three levels below.

While doctors were able to save Hu's life, part of his damaged cranium had to be removed. Hu was diagnosed with a laundry list of complications stemming from traumatic brain injury, including a dramatic cranial deformity, double vision, limited motion functions and ptosis in his left eye that reduced his vision to near blindness, and could eventually lead to full and permanent blindness. The injury also left Hu unable to speak or write, although he can understand people around him. His abilities to walk and eat are unaffected. His wife helps interpret him to doctors and family. 

Experts have been called in from all over China and beyond for the revolutionary surgery, which is expected to take several hours. Besides the obvious delicacy required for cranial procedures, Hu's scalp and meninges (the "envelope" surrounding the brain) have grown together and must be peeled apart. If necessary, doctors may also harvest muscle tissue from Hu's back to help support the titanium mesh cover. 

Provided his body does not reject the implant, it is expected that some regeneration of brain tissue could occur, restoring at least part of Hu's sight and communicative abilities.

Tags3D Printing, skull, skull injury, titanium, Implant