3-D Printing: Science Fiction Becomes New Reality in Medicine

The use of prosthetics has been a staple in medicine for quite some time, from the “peg leg” to rewiring a person’s nerves allowing them to control a robotic limb (which is literally something out of Star Wars). 3-D printing, however, is changing the prosthetic landscape because it is affordable, easy to use and faster at creating custom medical devices that can even be used in vivo. 3D printing has become so intricate, that we are now able to make even the smallest of medical prosthetics. One such example is the creation of the middle ear bones.

Otosclerosis is a condition in which the bones of the middle ear; malleus, incus, and stapes, become ossified which can lead to a buildup of bone tissue. The most effective demographic of this condition are Caucasian, with nearly 10% of the world’s population having some form of this condition (Krassenstein, 2014). The primary concern is this buildup of bone resulting in the immobilization of the stapes preventing proper vibration from sound waves which contributes to hearing loss. The only treatment for otosclerosis is through surgery, a process called stapedectomy, in which the patient’s stapes is removed and replaced with a prosthetic (Columbia University). Through the use of 3-D printing, a custom prosthetic can be used in surgery instead of a generic version enhancing the results of the procedure on a patient by patient basis.

Photo from: http://3dprint.com/15229/3d-printed-ear-prosthesis

Recently, Monika Kwacz, a researcher at the Institute of Micromechanics and Photonics at Warsaw Technical University in Poland, utilized the Potomac Laser company in Baltimore for the creation of a prosthetic stapes. The prosthetic prototypes were first printed in acrylic and were to be later printed in some type of surgical metal to be used for future surgeries (Krassenstein, 2014).

While this is just an example of how 3-D printing can create the smallest of prosthetics, 3-D printing can be used for a variety of other medical procedures as well. In 2013, physicians at the University of Michigan used a 3-D printer to create an airway splint to help prevent a child’s airway from collapsing. The most interesting aspect of this is that the splint, made of polycaprolactone, was designed to be absorbed into the body after approximately 3 years when the patient’s windpipe had been remodeled and was strong enough to know longer need it (Zopf et al., 2013).

Photo from: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/3D-printer-medicine-baby-airway-splint,news-17061.html

These are just two examples of how 3-D printing is changing medicine and showing how what was once thought to be science fiction is now reality.

References:

http://www.entcolumbia.org/otoscler.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/airway-made-by-3d-printer-saves-infants-life/

Krassenstein, E. (2014, September 15). Incredibly small 3D printed middle ear prosthesis is achieved on a 3D systems printer. Retrieved November 1, 2014, from http://3dprint.com/15229/3d-printed-ear-prosthesis/

Zopf, D., et al. (2013). Bioresorbable airway splint created with a three-dimensional printer. New England Journal of Medicine, 21(368), 2043-2045. Retrieved November 1, 2014, from http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMc1206319