Jul 25, 2019 20:00:00

A 3D printer makes it possible for a boy who has become intractable and has a spine to be 'folded' to walk again

The activity of 3D printers in the medical field has been remarkable in recent years,

and the time has come for 3D printers to compensate not only for artificial hands but also bones, skin , and even internal organs . Under these circumstances, it has been reported that a boy whose spine has been greatly damaged by genetic disease has recovered by the time the implant made with the 3D printer can be walked.

The Lancet Digital Health
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS 2589-7500 (19) 30067-6 / fulltext

Teenager can walk again thanks to Dutch 3D printed spinal implant-DutchNews.nl
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/20019/07/teenager-can-walk-again-thanks-to-dutch-3d-printed-spinal-implant/

Implantaten uit de 3D-printer later Utrechtse patiënt weer lopen | De Volkskrant
https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/implantaten-uit-de-3d-printer-laten-utrechtse-patient-weer-lopen~bab3372e/

In January 2017, 16-year-old Rick Duwel who lived in the Netherlands in the Netherlands had a state of paralysis in which his hands and feet could not move freely due to the deformation of his spine.

Mr. Duwel is born with neurofibromatosis type 1 which is a genetic disease causing birth defects, and the orthopedic doctor of Utrecht University who was the doctor, Moyo Kruyt, Dr. Duwel's body 'The spine is almost folded It was being said, 'he said.

The following image is a 3D modeling of Duwel's spine from the results of X-ray, CT scan, and MRI. You can see that some of the vertebrae have disappeared and the spine is almost cut off.

Kruyt, who thought that the existing treatment would eventually become paralyzed, will work with Koen Willimsen, a doctor at the hospital and a 3D technology expert, to develop a titanium implant molded by 3D printing. did. According to Kruyt, because there are bronchial, aortic and heart close to the space where this implant is inserted, no millimeter error was allowed in the design.

This is an implant developed by Kruyt et al. From the rough leftmost polygon, you can see how the deal is gradually designed. Also, if you look at the figure on the right, you can see that the part that connects with the bone is in a fine mesh shape.

However, before starting the operation, a difficult question stood in front of Mr. Kruyt. That is 'legal regulations'. The implant surgery Kruyt was trying to do was innovative and unprecedented, so in order to clear the various regulations, Mr. Kruyt 'patient information' 'the rationale of implant surgery' '

risk assessment ' 'various It was said that documents such as “safety procedures based on pre-tests” had to be prepared.

The operation was successful and Duwel was discharged one week after surgery. After four weeks, he had recovered enough to attend school.

Rick Duwel raises a roentgen picture after surgery.

Mr. Kruyt cites the advantage of metal 3D printers as 'the gradual transition from metal bars to mesh structures.' The implant had to be strong enough to support the spine throughout life, but it also had to be taken into account that the bone would expand due to growth. Therefore, it was necessary to reticulate the part where the implant is connected to the bone, and to allow the bone to expand into the implant to allow room for expansion.

Duwel's operation took 6 months in total for administrative procedures etc. But thanks to this know-how, the operation of a 68-year-old woman who suffers from Gorham's disease where bone tissue dissolves In six weeks, the entire trip was completed.

'This time it was used to treat very rare diseases, but it will be applied to a wider treatment in the future,' said Kruyt about implant technology using a 3D printer.