3-D Technology Reduces Lead Times, Enables Customization (Manufacturing News)
With the latest technological advancements in 3-D printing, highly complex bone reconstruction is now a reality.
Orthopedic specialists for years have been developing the technology to model and then create reconstructions of bone defects (often due to tumors or trauma). However, lead times, even up to a decade ago, were too long. It is only in the last few years that lead times have been reduced-allowing reconstruction to become feasible not just for complex cases, but for time-sensitive cases as well. With the latest 3-D printing technology, turnaround time can be as fast as six weeks-a significant leap from the previous six-plus-month lead time. This means new surgery options, more precise bone reconstructions, along with the real possibility of a higher quality of life for patients post-op.
Take, for example, one recent case involving chondrosarcoma of the pelvis, a type of bone cancer that is resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The portion of the bone with the cancerous tumor had to be removed, along with a margin of normal tissue.
Long bone reconstruction is fairly straightforward be...
