This is absolutely fantastic.
A 22-year-old woman from the Netherlands who suffers from a chronic bone disorder — which has increased the thickness of her skull from 1.5cm to 5cm, causing reduced eyesight and severe headaches — has had the top section of her skull removed and replaced with a 3D printed implant.
How fortunate is this woman that 3D printing technology was available to her surgical team. I can’t get over how cool this is.
This is awesome. I worked with a customer who was doing similar techniques around 2009. A specific case was a child with a birth defect who was missing a large part of the skull. They performed a CT scan and used our software to create a 3D model, which they then printed to create a exact-fit mold for the prosthetic.
Direct printing prosthetics saves a step and is really cool to see become a reality.
I have three new crowns in my mouth which weren’t 3D printed, but were produced in-house at my dentists office by optically scanning the area and the dentist sculpted the new teeth to accurately shape and fit the new crowns. Data was sent to the CNC milling machine which shaped the crown out of a ceramic blank which was then fired. Great color match and good fit. I’m pleased.
I also recently saw a YouTube video from a 3D printing company whose machine could create titanium prints of skeletal parts which had intricate patterns of holes and metal ridges designed so the the patient’s natural bone tissue could grow into the crevices, thereby fusing well with the prosthesis.