Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Oct 20:35:102044.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2022.102044. eCollection 2022 Dec.

3D printing in spine care: A review of current applications

Apoorva Kabra  1 , Nishank Mehta  1 , Bhavuk Garg  1
Affiliations

3D printing in spine care: A review of current applications

Apoorva Kabra et al. J Clin Orthop Trauma. .

Abstract

3D printing (3DP) has been brought to medical use since the early part of this century- but it has been widely researched on and publicized only in the last few years. Amongst patients with spinal disorders, 3DP has been utilized in various facets of patient care. These include pre-operative aspects - such as patient education, resident training, pre-operative planning and simulations, intra-operative assistance in the form of customized jigs for pedicle screw insertion, patient specific interbody cages and vertebral body substitutes in complex malignancies and spinal infections. It has also been utilized in deformity surgeries and has opened new avenues in minimally invasive spine care. Guidelines have now been drafted by various organizations including the FDA with a prime focus on quality control measures applicable to this new technology. There has been a recent surge in publications supporting the use of 3DP in spinal disorders, reporting an improvement in various aspects of patient care. As the technology spreads out its wings further, more innovations and applications are expected to unfold in the coming years. Considering the rapid advances that 3DP has made, having a basic understanding of this technology is imperative for all spine surgeons. Despite promising preliminary results, there still exist a few pitfalls of the technology which have hindered the universal application of 3DP. Most importantly, there is a dearth of data related to long term outcomes supporting its clinical use. The prohibitive cost of 3D models, the specialized manpower it necessitates and the need for specific instrumentation are major deterrents to widespread use of this technology, particularly in small-scale healthcare setups. With further advancements in technology, the goal must be to make it more accurate and affordable to hospitals and patients so that the benefits of the technology can reach a wider patient population.

Keywords: 3D models; 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Rapid prototyping; Spine; Technology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
1A) Pre-operative creation of a 3D CAD model of the spine of a scoliosis patient 1B) Creation of best pathway for pedicle screw placement in the software which helps in development of drill guide.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
2A) 3D printed individual vertebrae of various thoracic levels along with drill guides 2B) 3D printed drill guide being assessed ex-vivo prior to surgery.
Fig. 3)
Fig. 3)
Intraoperative photograph of 3D printed drill guide in use.
Fig. 4)
Fig. 4)
Workflow diagram as a guide for creating drill guides.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Melchels F.P.W., Feijen J., Grijpma D.W. A review on stereolithography and its applications in biomedical engineering. Biomaterials. 2010;31(24):6121–6130. doi: 10.1016/J.BIOMATERIALS.2010.04.050. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Garg B., Mehta N. Current status of 3D printing in spine surgery. Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma. 2018;9(3):218. doi: 10.1016/J.JCOT.2018.08.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rayna T., Striukova L. From rapid prototyping to home fabrication: how 3D printing is changing business model innovation. Technol Forecast Soc Change. 2016;102:214–224. doi: 10.1016/J.TECHFORE.2015.07.023. - DOI
    1. Tong Y., Kaplan D.J., Spivak J.M., Bendo J.A. Three-dimensional printing in spine surgery: a review of current applications. Spine J. 2020;20(6):833–846. doi: 10.1016/J.SPINEE.2019.11.004. - DOI - PubMed
    1. É P.E., K L., B M., et al. Attitude of spine surgeons towards the application of 3D technologies-a survey of AOSpine members. Ideggyogyaszati Szle. 2019;72(7-8) doi: 10.18071/ISZ.72.0227. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources