Doctors Successfully Replace Boy’s Damaged Spine with 3D-Printed Vertebrae
The new era of 3D printing never ceases to amaze us.
It may sound like something that is meant to be utilized in the distant future, but 3D printing is here and it is so damn amazing.
The latest innovation comes out of Beijing, China.
Peking University surgeon Liu Zhongjun just successfully replaced a 12-year-old bone cancer patient’s injured second vertebrae with a 3D-printed implant fashioned out of titanium powder.
The boy is currently in recovery.
This ground-breaking project was the first time doctors have been able to mend someone’s spine using a 3D-printed implant.
“This is the first use of a 3D printed vertebra as an implant for orthopedic spine surgery in the world,” said the surgeon behind the project, Dr. Liu Zhongjun, director of the orthopedics department at Peking University.
Image: Shutterstock
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