Monday, August 25, 2014

3D printed body parts- artificial vertebra

In the world's first use of 3D printing to create an artificial vertebra, doctors and scientists in China have used this technology to replace a young boy's 2nd cervical (neck) vertebra which was diseased due to a tumor.
This allows quicker recovery according to the surgeons and allows greater mobility.
Read this:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/3d-printed-vertebra-used-in-spine-surgery/

Also:
http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/25/3d-printed-vertebra-implant/

This is interesting as it was made with titanium powder and could be the next major leap forward in synthetic body parts. Obviously, sophisticated 3D CT and MR imaging techniques must have been used to aid in making the 3D printer data.

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