Medical 3D-printed prosthesis: reshaping the future of healthcare

Medical 3D printing prosthesis obtain 3D data of organs or limbs by scanning patients with detailed medical images, and then use 3D printing equipment to fabricate the prosthesis

 

Medical 3D Printed Prosthesis: Reshaping the Future of Healthcare

Medical 3D printed prosthesis are a pivotal role in today's medical field and are rising at an astonishing rate. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, 3D printing technology has been widely used in aerospace, medical, automotive and other fields. In the medical field, 3D printed prostheses offer new hope for patients.

The manufacture of 3D printed prostheses involves obtaining 3D data of organs or limbs through detailed medical imaging scans of patients, and then using 3D printing equipment to create the prostheses. This kind of personalized customization can be tailored to the patient's own characteristics, improving the comfort and satisfaction of the patient.

In recent years, 3D printing has become more and more widely used in the medical industry. Now, using the high-tech of 3D printing customization, the hospital uploads the patient's CT data, and the engineer will reconstruct the digital model according to the specific situation of the bone defect.

Bioprinting human tissues and organs is one of the most cutting-edge and challenging applications of 3D printing technology in the medical field. Using biomaterials, scientists have succeeded in printing models of organs such as heart tissue, skin, bones, and liver. These models are of great value for organ transplantation, drug testing, and disease model analysis.

The rise of medical 3D printed prostheses has revolutionized the medical field and brought new hope to patients.

1. Technical principles and advantages

Medical 3D printed prostheses are based on the patient's CT data, which are accurately measured by the computer and then simulated and customized to match the patient. Bio-3D printing technology is a kind of regenerative medicine engineering that integrates multiple disciplines and fields such as cytology, materials science, engineering, and 3D printing. The technology uses biomaterials, based on computer 3D models, to precisely control biomaterials and active ingredients to construct living tissue layer by layer, and the key to the technology is to replicate the human tissue needed for repair in infinite proximity and reconstruct that tissue. For example, in the application of bone tumors, bone tumor tissues can be 3D printed to guide the resection of bone tumors, titanium alloy 3D printing prostheses can also be used, and individualized puncture guides can be designed to achieve precise puncture of bone tumors. If the 3D printer is loaded with bone material or other biological materials, the bone tissue or other organs can be printed with a very high accuracy, and the error between the 3D printer and the entity is no more than 1mm.

Significant advantages are presented

High accuracy: 3D printing technology can be tailored to the specific needs of the patient, which is more accurate than hand engraving. It has less error with the entity and can better adapt to the patient's body structure. For example, by performing accurate 3D CT scans of patients to obtain data on normal and defective bones, the 3D reconstruction system can be used to complete the design of the implanted prosthesis and 3D print a customized prosthesis that exactly matches the defect site in 72 hours.

Fast production speed: 3D printing technology can produce prostheses in a short period of time, reducing waiting times. Compared with traditional handmade prostheses, 3D printing greatly improves production efficiency and provides a guarantee for timely treatment of patients.

Variety of materials: 3D printing technology can produce prostheses using a variety of materials, such as plastics, metals, ceramics, etc., and the most suitable material can be selected according to the needs. For example, 3D printed prostheses are made of two main metals, one is a traditional titanium alloy and the other is a cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy. In addition, there are experimental implant materials, such as PEEK materials, polymer degradable materials of PLA, etc.

Good integration with real bone: When 3D printing bone tissue, biomimetic simulation will be carried out according to the network structure of the trabecular bone, which can be well fused with adjacent real bone tissue, which not only improves the adhesion of the prosthesis, but also facilitates the early repair of the tissue. For example, in 3D printed pelvic implantation, the 3D printed pelvic prosthesis implanted into the patient is customized according to the shape and size of the patient's defective bone tissue, all irregularities can be matched one by one, and the bionic simulation is carried out according to the network structure of the trabecular bone, which is conducive to the early recovery of the patient. Compared with traditional artificial pelvic implants, the postoperative recovery time of 3D printed pelvic implants can be shortened from 3 to 6 months to 1 to 2 months.

Individualized customization: 3D printing technology truly realizes individualized customization, and the artificial prosthesis produced completely fits the patient's body parts with a high degree of shape and harmony. It improves the accuracy of surgery and patient satisfaction, and has the advantage of long-term osseointegration, so that the prosthesis has a safe and reliable long-term stability. For example, in orthopedic surgery, "artificial intelligence + 3D printing technology" was used to perform knee arthroplasty for the patient, and the replaced knee prosthesis was highly conformed to the patient's real bone, and the operation took about 3 hours to complete. After the operation, the patient's condition recovered quickly, the wound healed well, and the appearance and function of the limbs were completely improved.

2. Medical examples

Prosthetic ankle replacement

Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University customizes 3D printed prosthetic ankle arthroplasty for patients to improve their quality of life. Ms. Ren, a 52-year-old woman, came to Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Dalian University for 4 years due to pain in her right ankle joint, which seriously affected her daily life. Professor Zhao Dewei saw Ms. Ren's ankle X-ray and found that her talus bone was necrotic and collapsed severely, accompanied by severe ankle osteoarthritis. The traditional treatment is only ankle fusion surgery, but after the operation, the ankle flexion and extension function will be lost, resulting in a reduced quality of life. Ankle arthroplasty is limited by the high cost and insufficient supply of prostheses, and most patients are unable to receive treatment. Professor Zhao Dewei's team decided to use 3D printing technology to tailor an ankle prosthesis for Ms. Ren, using porous tantalum metal to prepare the prosthesis, giving full play to the characteristics of porous tantalum with good histocompatibility and bone growth performance, replacing the articular surface, maximizing the recovery of ankle range of motion and improving pain symptoms. After strict preoperative simulation and planning, the operation was successfully completed with the full cooperation of Professor Zhao Dewei's team, and the postoperative prosthesis was well positioned, the joint tension was balanced, and the mobility function was significantly improved. This prosthesis and surgical supporting instrument is independently developed by Professor Zhao Dewei's team, and the 3D printing porous tantalum technology has obtained a number of national patent certificates. In terms of implant design, the team optimized the topology according to the patient's CT scan data, and completely customized it according to the patient's needs, reducing the treatment of the patient's bone during the operation, retaining the patient's original bone as much as possible, increasing the contact area with the bone, and also increasing the tolerance of the prosthesis to the femoral head, while simplifying the surgical process, shortening the operation time, reducing the surgical risk, and helping the patient regain confidence. Improve quality of life. The implant is biological, does not require cement-bonding, is designed with a locking screw system, and the 3D printed porous tantalum material has excellent bone growth characteristics, which has good initial stability during implantation and good long-term stability after bone growth. 3D printing technology clarifies the position and size of the prosthesis, the position and thickness of the osteotomy, and the length and position of the fixing screw through accurate digital measurement, and performs the operation according to the preoperative design during the operation, simplifying the surgical process, shortening the operation time, reducing the trauma to the patient, and achieving precise treatment.

3. Development prospects

The market demand is broad

With the continuous advancement of medical technology and the improvement of people's quality of life, the application range of 3D printed prostheses will continue to expand. It will not only play an important role in the treatment of physical disabilities, but will also show great potential in other medical fields, such as maxillofacial injuries and skull repair

Personalization has become mainstream

In the future, 3D printed prostheses will be more intelligent and automated. Through the introduction of artificial intelligence, machine learning and other technologies, the manufacturing process will be more efficient and the quality of products will be further improved. At the same time, with the development of technology, 3D printed prostheses will be able to better meet the individual needs of patients. For example, by scanning a patient's body data and medical images, it is possible to accurately create a prosthesis that matches the patient's body structure and needs, improving patient comfort and satisfaction. In addition, customized 3D printed prostheses can also be designed according to the specific condition and treatment needs of patients, providing patients with more precise treatment options.

Innovative applications are emerging

The advent of 3D printed breast implants has opened up more possibilities for patients. Studies have shown that 3D printed breast implants can not only realize breast reconstruction, but also have the function of intelligently sensing tumors and inhibit tumor recurrence. For example, liposome-encapsulated RSL3 (RSL3@LIPO) inside a newly designed prosthesis is encapsulated in a hydrogel (RSL3@LIPO@GEL) that reacts to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and has shown significant therapeutic effects on tumor recurrence. This innovative application provides a new treatment option for breast cancer patients and is expected to improve their quality of life. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, it is believed that more innovative 3D printing prosthesis applications will emerge in the future, bringing more breakthroughs and developments to the medical field.