Anatomics ’ custom 3D-printed sternum implant used in US 1st replacement procedure

Anatomics said this month that a custom 3D-printed implant it created was successfully implanted to replace the sternum and partial ribcage of a 20-year old patient who had lost significant bone mass to Chondrosarcoma, touting the procedure as a 1st for the US. The implant was composed of composite titanium and porous polyethylene designed using high-resolution CT scans of the patient’s chest, approved by an operating surgeon. The implant was only the 2nd of its kind to use the company’s PoreStar technology, though Anatomics has been innovating in the field of 3D printing for over 2 decades. Anatomics has been making 3D printed medical models for 25 years, CEO Dean Carson told MassDevice.com in an interview, though its technology has seen significant leaps in quality since then. “The 3D imagery capability 25 years ago were nowhere near at the high quality they are today. In order to provide the final product of a patient-specific implant it’s necessary to have high resolution CT imagery. Now the technology has advanced to a point where we can be very confident that what we’re looking at is a good representation of the patient’s anatomy,” Carson said. Carson thinks that the technological advances will have a significant impact on procedures and increase the use of bespoke implants, removing the need to rely on off-the-shelf implants which are currently the standard of care. “The technology has the ability to alter the approach that a surgeon...
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Implants Research & Development Surgical anatomics Source Type: news