3D prosthesis printing is the use of 3D printers to design and create artificial and portable body parts, such as legs, hands and arms. It is a relatively new method compared to the traditional production method. The materials used to create 3D printed prostheses are accessible and lightweight, making the process suitable for producing prostheses and providing a favorable alternative for patients around the world. Finally, 3D printing is used to create custom prostheses and orthopedic appliances.
By using additive manufacturing technologies, the production costs of such medical devices are reduced, making them more affordable for the masses. Marc Soubeyrand is a surgeon who uses our printing service to create his own tools. Collecting the patient's medical images (in this case, from CT scans) to convert them into a suitable 3D file. The 3D printed parts are then used to guide the surgeon during surgery and ensure that the implants are placed perfectly.
These surgical guides are then perfectly adapted to the surgery performed by the doctor. You're better prepared and more efficient, and you can focus 100% on the patient. That's exactly what happened at Belfast City Hospital, in Northern Ireland, when a medical team decided to 3D print a kidney. The first 3D printed bionic arm is clinically approved; therefore, when regulatory authorities show interest and give their approval, prosthetic 3D printing will become more common as a manufacturing process that will be accepted in society.
Medical devices that are printed at the point of care include anatomical models, prostheses and surgical guides compatible with the patient, which are tools that help guide surgeons on where to make an incision during an operation. Using 3D printing and polypropylene material, Schlather developed a dynamic foot orthosis (DFO) to correct various deformities, such as clubfoot or extremely high arches. This analysis presents an overview of the application of 3D printing in the field of medicine, highlighting its usefulness and limitations and how it could be useful for surgeons. In the case of medical 3D printing that is performed outside the scope of FDA regulation, there is little formal oversight.
For example, manufacturers have used 3D printing technologies to create devices with complex geometries, such as knee prostheses with a porous structure, which can facilitate tissue growth and integration. Conformis knee implants are possible thanks to 3D printing and make the most of the personalized look. An example of the application of 3D printing in the treatment of pediatric congenital heart diseases is a study published in the literature based on the development of a 3D heart model of a 15-year-old child to improve simulation and intervention planning in patients with aortic arch hypoplasia. By combining a 3D printed mold with a low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), the osteoid is like an improved mold designed to accelerate the healing process.
This briefing explains how medical 3D printing is used in health care, how the FDA regulates the products being manufactured, and the regulatory issues facing the agency. Medical 3D printing is used to produce plastic molds that are lightweight and custom-made to fit the patient perfectly. Today, 3D printing technology represents a great opportunity to help pharmaceutical and medical companies create more specific drugs, allowing rapid production of medical implants and changing the way doctors and surgeons plan procedures. A 3D model of a 2-year-old male boy was created to plan the surgical treatment of his multisutural craniosynostosis with a history of worsening cranial deformity.
