We live in strange times. While hospitals are running short of basics such as saline IV fluids 3-D printed models help in complex orthopedic procedures.

Rapid prototyping lab, 3-D models help MU orthopaedic surgeons perform complex procedures

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Using 3-dimensional printing technology at the University of Missouri College of Engineering, MU Health Care orthopaedic surgeons are able hold an exact replica of a patient's bone in their hands before ever walking into the operating room.

The bone models help MU surgeons to carefully plan complex spine and joint procedures before surgery, reducing time in the O.R.
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"With four different kinds of 3-D printers, our rapid-prototyping lab here at MU is one of the largest in the Midwest," Pfeiffer said. "One of the benefits of having this rapid prototyping lab right here is our ability to collaborate among different disciplines. I'm able to use my mechanical engineering expertise to create models for physicians and veterinarians. And since we're right here on campus, we're able to produce the models quickly, usually in 24 to 48 hours."

Children's Hospital pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Daniel Hoernschemeyer, M.D., has used the 3-D bone models to prepare for spine surgeries and procedures to correct hip dysplasia, a joint condition in which the upper-leg bone does not fit properly into its joint socket in the pelvis.

"I can even take the models into the O.R. to use as a roadmap during the procedure," Hoernschemeyer said. "In some of these cases of severe deformities, the anatomy looks very different from what it should look like. By bringing this model into the operating room, I can use it like a roadmap to show me exactly what part of the spine I'm looking at, where to cut and where to implant devices."


https://www.muhealth.org/body.cfm?id=103...=detail&ref=337