Before the era of 3D printing, patients needing orthopedic devices would typically rely on mass-produced, off-the-shelf implants.
 
Now the development of sophisticated 3D printing systems is revolutionizing how manufacturers develop and produce their products. With 3D printers becoming more portable and affordable, the medical industry is embracing the technology to speed up device prototyping and production. 
 
As a case in point, companies are now able to use 3D printing to produce orthopedic devices that better suit each individual patient, with precision and customization. Some orthopedic devices are meant to be permanent replacements, such as a new hip, knee, or elbow, or they can be used on a temporary basis to help a patient’s broken bone heal correctly.
 
Consider that industry analysts estimate the market size of orthopedic 3D printed devices will grow by $1.35 billion between 2023 and 2028, according to an industry report^DM1.
 
To get a sense of where the industry is heading, it’s reported that the number of hospitals using 3D printing (in point-of-care manufacturing situations) grew from 3 to 119 facilities by 2019, reaching an estimated 400 locations by 2022^DM2. The number of facilities should continue to grow apace. Hospitals prefer 3D printing because they can cut down on inventory costs, reduce waste, and make their processes much more efficient.
 
Another crucial factor is that 3D printing in your own facility can help you avoid orthopedic device shortages caused by supply chain disruptions, such as the massive upheaval we experienced during the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
This article addresses how 3D printing is changing the way manufacturers create orthopedic devices, producing them more quickly than ever before, while also reducing costs.

3D Printing Is Transforming the Orthopedic Device Industry 

With 3D printing, you create medical devices layer by layer. You can work in a more agile manner by changing the design over multiple iterations as each model finishes printing and undergoes testing. A 3D printer can use metal or plastic as its feedstock depending on the application.
 
Orthopedic devices, also known as implants, help make people whole again. Doctors use them to replace a damaged or missing bone, cartilage, or joint, for example, or address congenital deformities.
 
Using 3D printing, you can produce complex structures that would be impossible to create using traditional methods. Manufacturers do use 3D printers to make standard-sized orthopedic devices, but 3D printing really shines when it comes to making customized devices, such as to address a patient’s particular deformity or injury.
 
In situations where patients have multiple bone fractures, customized 3D-printed implants will make it much easier for them to recover after implantation.

Recent Advancements in 3D Printing Materials

Instead of settling for off-the-shelf orthopedic devices, medical professionals benefit from 3D printing that tailors products for individual patients. Looking forward, we can anticipate improvements in 3D bioprinting using biodegradable materials, which will assist in repairing soft tissues. After healing, the body absorbs the 3D material.
 
The potential to print three-dimensional structures, such as to replace cartilage and bone, will allow patients to avoid the negative effects that come with traditional bone grafting approaches used today.
 
In some cases, a manufacturer needs to experiment with plastic injection molding to facilitate rapid prototyping, such as when evaluating new designs that require the same results during the entire production run. Plastic injection molding can serve as a complementary approach to a 3D printing initiative. 
 
You can then use the results of your initial rapid prototyping from the plastic injection process to guide your future 3D printing production efforts. Manufacturers often use plastic injection to test the process of manufacturing a particular design or when using a new material.
 
Scientists are also exploring the possibilities of using implantable polymers. Manufacturers usually confine polymer printing with 3D systems to make cutting guides and other instrumentation, and not actual implants, but as printing techniques grow more sophisticated, we can anticipate implantable polymer-based orthopedic devices. 

The Potential of 3D Printing to Revolutionize Patient Care 

After a doctor orders a 3D scan of the patient, the data enables a manufacturer to use 3D printing to produce a customized orthopedic device that will fit much better than an off-the-shelf unit. A personalized device will improve patient outcomes, enable better precision during surgery, and help avoid complications.
 
Patients have unique anatomical structures, and each will have different surgical needs to address their specific injury or deformity, making 3D printing much more suitable for making tissue replacements.
 
With traditional prosthetics, patients often must wait during multiple adjustments until the device fits properly. A device based on the patient’s scan, however, will already fit correctly, saving time, aggravation, and money.

How 3D Printing Can Reduce Costs

Surgical time is reduced when implanting a customized 3D-printed orthopedic device, which means medical facilities can do more with less time and effort. This lowers costs and provides better access to healthcare for patients (with decreased waiting time for surgical appointments).

Manufacturers are now investigating how to integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning with their 3D printing efforts. 
 
In the past, CT scans were the main data source for creating 3D-printed implants. Recent software and algorithm advances have made it possible to produce implants based on traditional X-rays, which are less expensive than CT scans.
 
An AI-infused algorithm will help people design patient implants with more specificity and less expensively. What’s more, by comparing a patient’s case with vast troves of historical data from other patients, you can more readily predict outcomes of surgical procedures with 3D-printed orthopedic devices for more personalized care and improved decisions.

Improving Outcomes With 3D Printing

With 3D printing, patients can more readily obtain customized devices, rather than waiting for off-the-shelf units to become available. 
 
After all, 3D printing can help alleviate supply chain issues by allowing point-of-care manufacturing of orthopedic devices right when patients need them, instead of waiting for pre-made units to arrive (assuming all the necessary materials were available in the supply chain, that is).
 
Because patients vary widely in the shape and size of their tissues, it makes sense to scan their injury sites or deformities to produce a customized replacement. 
 
Doing so means the new orthopedic device will fit the patient more precisely, which is crucial for improving the healing process and minimizing discomfort. A 3D-printed orthopedic device is less likely to fail than an off-the-shelf model. That means patients won’t be subject to undergoing revision surgeries to correct the errors.
 
Surgeons also will want to use 3D-printed devices based on patient scans to save time during procedures. They can perform operations with more confidence as they navigate complex structures in the patient’s body. Patients won’t have to endure multiple adjustments because the device was created with them specifically in mind.

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