3d Printed Knee Replacement

50000 knee replacements have been performed so far using the conformis product and process which allows for a 3d map to be taken of the knee.

3d printed knee replacement. Each implant has a unique design based on a ct scan of the patients knee. A 3d printed knee replacement consists of. Many of the materials especially titanium are suitable for use in medical devices because of their strength and lower risk for rejection. Many young people who need replacements because of trauma or disease are often told to live with your pain until theyre much older.

A combination of ct. Some of these implants have been used in common surgical procedures such as hip replacement and knee replacement surgery. 3d printing really allows to create knee prostheses that can replace the mechanical properties of a real knee. After receiving injections to alleviate recurring knee pain for a decade patient bonnie dan and dr.

Eric stem a hip and knee specialist with lowcountry orthopaedics discussed the option of a new procedure that had proven to be very successful. The ability to use a variety of materials allows manufacturers to make incredibly strong and complex items. By using data from a. Different experiments has been made regarding 3d printed knee replacement from 3d printed cartilage and 3d printed implants to realignment made thanks to additive manufacturing.

Max gomezreports that 3d custom printed knees may be the answer. Their ifit image to implant technology platform allows surgeons to 3d print joint replacement implants individually sized and shaped to suit the needs of each patients body. For example joint replacement implants have been custom fabricated. A customized implant can function more like a patients own knee because it works in unison with the patients ligaments and tendons.

This would help patients avoid a second procedure decades later. Wiznia who also has a background in mechanical engineering uses 3d printing to customize his surgery to each patient. A 3d printed knee implant designed to perfectly fit each patients unique size and shape and produced by a company called conformis. In todays installment of how 3d printing is changing healthcare forever a massachusetts based medical device company is forging new ground in knee replacement surgery.

Algorithms convert the scan to a 3d model by mapping the contours of the bone and correcting areas damaged by the disease process. Knee replacements usually last for 20 years or more. Mayo clinic offers customized prostheses for select patients who need total knee replacement. In orthopedic surgery 3 dimensional printing has been used for a number of different applications.