3-d printing replacement bones – the future is here!
In an article published last month in the Journal of Hand Surgery (Eur), a research group in Switzerland reported on the first use of a 3D printed bone replacement with amazing results. They used a 3D printer to recreate the scaphoid bone made out of alumina ceramic (same material as some hip replacements) and re-implanted it back into the body to undergo testing. Granted the study was performed in a laboratory rather than real life, but the implications for the future are remarkable.
Scaphoid fractures are common but it is a very difficult bone to heal, and even harder to operate on. The blood supply is tenuous at best, and the time it takes for a scaphoid fracture to heal could be anywhere from 3-12 months. Scaphoid fractures are also one of the most commonly missed fractures of the upper limb and it can have devastating consequences if left untreated. It can lead to early arthritis and loss of wrist function. Because of this, our salvage options for missed or unreconstructible scaphoid injuries are limited and almost always lead to loss of wrist range of motion and grip strength.
This article looking at scaphoid replacement is not proposing a new concept – scaphoid replacements have been around for a while. However the scaphoid bone has a remarkable amount of variability so it makes finding a standard size difficult. Using a patient specific implant may be the key to solving this problem. We already have the technology to 3D print a medical implant so it is exciting to think where this will lead us in the future and what it will offer patients in terms of better function and quality of life. Looks like this may be the new frontier for reconstructive surgery.
