Surgeons at the Helios Clinic in Hildesheim, Germany, used 3D printing to perform corrective surgery on a woman with hip dysplasia, inserting a 3D-printed hip implant that enabled the woman to walk without pain.
Surgeons used the aMace software platform from 3D printing firm Materialise to facilitate the insertion of a 3D-printed hip implant into a patient with hip dysplasia, according to an article on the 3D Printing Industry website. The patient had previously undergone surgery for an abnormality in her hip bone that left her with pain and trouble walking, even after corrective surgery. The decision to use a 3D-printed hip implant to improve the patient's condition came from Dr. Burkhard Wippermann, chief of trauma and orthopedic surgery.
In collaboration with Materialise, Wippermann and colleagues created an individually tailored 3D-printed implant that served as a prototype for preoperative planning. After preparation, they fitted a new 3D-printed titanium implant into the patient's hip.
Myriad stories such as this have been emerging throughout 2017 as advancements in 3D printing make strides -- including the implantation of a 3D-printed shoulder joint and the use of a 3D-printed model to assist in the spinal surgery of a 6-year-old boy with severe scoliosis.
