3D printing in orthopedics is no exception. According to the MIT Technology Review, in 2016, surgeons around the world will implant tens of thousands of 3D printed replacements parts for hips, knees, ankles, parts of the spine, and even sections of the skull. 3D printing is the perfect technology to support the ongoing evolution of personalized digital medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, creating a digital thread starting at the medical imaging process, over treatment planning, implant design, patient communication and ending with the digital manufacturing of a personalized implant and instrumentation.

Using 3D printed replicas of bone fractures from patients is a perfect way of increasing successful first time results of orthopedic trauma surgeries. Some broken bones can be set with a cast, others require orthopedic surgery if they don’t heal the right way, which can cause chronic pain for the patient. Although medical advances in 3D printing are used in orthopedic field, research in 4D printing has already started. Flat objects made with 3D printing, using a regular plastic, combined with smart material, were able to become a hub without an external intervention. In nutshell, the future of additive manufacturing (AM) in trauma and orthopedic surgery is relatively bright with the inclusion of 3D printing in medicine. Bioprinting in this area will be focused on fractures, nonunion, deformities and bone, cartilage and soft tissue reconstruction.

Several different industries are served by Materialize. In healthcare, the company has a particular skill for taking medical images and turning them into useful 3D models. These models can be employed in the surgical planning phase, and Materialize also develops patient specific instruments, implants, and devices. A global partnership with DePuy Synthes was recently forged, with Materialize providing shoulder guides and other planning solutions.

The evolving needs of patients make additive manufacturing an especially useful tool. An aging population of patients means a greater prevalence of chronic conditions. In orthopedics, complicated revision surgeries are becoming more common.