Sep 10, 2015 | By Kira
Today another huge step forward has been made not only in the realm of 3D printing, but in the worldwide fight against cancer. Croatian doctors at the Neurosurgical Clinic in Rijeka have inserted a custom, 3D printed acrylic vertebrae into a 77-year-old patient, marking the first such surgery in history. While combination titanium and acrylic vertebrae have been successfully used in the past, fully acrylic models are cheaper, entirely custom-made for individual patients, and dramatically reduce the patient’s recovery time.
“We view this [procedure] as a major advantage [in our fight with cancer],” said Dr. Dinko Stimac, the newly elected Head of the Neurosurgical Department at the University of Rijeka. “The key advantage is that you can build a custom part for the patient, instead of using pre-designed and pre-manufactured designs which might not fit the patient.”
The procedure took place in several stages and began by creating a precise digital 3D model of the patient’s vertebrae. The acrylic replacement was then 3D printed without a titanium support mechanism, and inserted during a complex surgical operation today. The medical team worked closely with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FSB), an institution of the University of Zagreb, whose software helped process digital data obtained by a CT scan of the spine.
In addition to helping with recovery time, 3D printed acrylic vertebrae are up to 10 times cheaper than the industry standard titanium-based implants, meaning that there is a huge potential to expand the technology and save lives around the world.
The recipient, 77-year-old Josip Lopac, had a malignant tumor that had evolved into a metastatic cancer in his seventh vertebrae, elevating his condition to terminal and leaving him with only weeks to live. Thanks to the life-saving operation, he is expected to leave the hospital later this week. “With any radiation, you need to remove the titanium plate and screws after six weeks, while this acrylic-based implant doesn’t create any noise or artifacts,” explained Dr. Stimac. Until now, this technology has only been used for cosmetic neurosurgical treatments such as cranioplastic. “We are not aware that any medical team used this approach and technology to replace a vertebrae,” he announced proudly.
Lopac’s next implant surgery is already scheduled, and the doctors plan to use the same 3D printing technology for a complete replacement of his fifth vertebrae. “I am joyful and happy because I suffered pain and could not be admitted, and now, thank God, there is no pain,” said Lopac.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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