3D printing is the latest technology that is applied in Orthopaedics now available at Cape Joint Surgery
This technology is mostly used by the major Orthopaedic companies to design implants however Dr Engela at Cape Joint Surgery used this technology to plan difficult surgery.
We at Cape Joint Surgery have our own 3D printer that was used recently to plan and do a test operation in a situation where it was anticipated that it would be difficult to determine exactly which implant would be used and give the best fit and fixation for the pelvis with an abnormality.
The pelvis was scanned with a CT scanner and the images were used to convert it to an accurate 3D printed model of the pelvis.
The pelvis section was printed on our 3D printer and the operation could be performed on the printed pelvis before the date of the operation to allow the problems that may be encountered during surgery to be evaluated, tested and corrected. This made the operation much shorter in time and more predictable.
The difficult operation was performed with much more ease and accuracy and the patient made a rapid recovery and could be discharged mobile on crutches 3 days after the operation.