Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing in Orthopedics Education
Elli Maglara, Stavros Angelis, Eirini Solia, Alexandros P. Apostolopoulos, Georgios Tsakotos, Konstantinos Vlasis, Antonios Katsimantas, Dimitrios Filippou
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a newly established concept in orthopedics compared with other industries. Surgical applications of 3D printing and tissue engineering have been investigated since the early 2000s, almost two decades after Charles Hull had patented the first device currently in use for additive manufacturing, also known as rapid prototyping or more commonly 3D printing, and whose initial formal appellation was stereolithography (SLA). Despite technological progress, substantial principles have largely remained unaltered. Training directly on patients and on cadavers is considered the "gold standard" for learning and developing suitable surgical qualifications. However, restrictions concerning patient safety, ethical dilemmas, lack of availability, etc., have to be taken into account. Thus, 3D representations can be utilized as an educational tool both for patients to improve their understanding of their condition and also medical students, residents, and surgeons to comprehend complex anatomical structures and practice their surgical maneuvers to be prepared and more confident in theater.