Applications of 3D Printing Technology in Orthopedic Treatment
Xiaojun Duan, Ben Wang, Liu Yang, Anish R. Kadakia
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing (AM) or rapid prototyping (RP), is a special technique which could fabricate 3D models using computer-assisted design (CAD). It was firstly developed by a Japanese doctor forty years ago and initially used in manufacturing and industry During recent decades, with the development of manufacturing technology and materials science, 3D printing has also been used in some medical fields such as dentistry, maxillofacial surgery, and neurosurgery Application of 3D printing in orthopedics is also increasingly popular, mainly including preoperative planning, surgical guides, personalized implants, and customized prostheses Individualized surgical treatment could be easily and accurately formulated under the aid of 3D printing and reduce the operation time and postoperative complications Depending on its unique advantages, 3D printing will lead a surgeon to precision medicine and provide patients with better treatment effects at lower cost At present, the Chinese government, enterprises, universities, and institutes have invested a lot of resources in related research including printing technology, raw materials, and clinical applications and have made important progress. For example, our center uses 3D printing technology to manufacture implants of porous tantalum for clinical surgical treatment; in this special issue, a great majority of the submissions come from China, which report their latest developments in 3D printing. As the editorial team, we pay attention to some recent progressive research in 3D printing technology for orthopedic treatment. Below is a summary of these accepted articles.