Bionic Hands? – A young Haitian boy born without fingers gets a 3D printed left hand and is now playing catch with his friends.
A New Backbone? – Peking physicians print the first 3D vertebra into a bone cancer patient, allowing new bone to grow into the replaced portion of his spine.
Skull replacements? – In 2014, Dutch surgeons replace the skull of a 22 year old female with a plastic dome for a rare headache disorder.
Science fiction? Not at all. People have been using 3D printing to replace simple devices and have now expanded into the field of medicine. Studies show that this year alone, the orthopedic implant industry is projected to grow over 7% in the United States and this demand will only continue to increase as technology improves. The ability to cost efficiently replace damaged body parts may some day improve people’s lives. Just last week a California seven-year-old received a prosthetic limb via 3D printing. Read about it HERE.
What are your thoughts about 3D Printing? We’d love to hear from you in our comment section below.
