Technology plays a vital role in developing new methods of treatment for many different conditions. However, did you know that 3D printing can actually be used in the development of implants? Specifically, this technology was used just this year to replace a man’s skull.
Oxford Performance Materials was charged with creating the implant to be placed in an American patient. The surgery that resulted actually replaced 75{ed34752d3d9237811f2899a265685e36705e4e86722207f201c96dd1cfc4a167} of the man’s skull. The implant itself is called the OsteoFab Patient Specific Cranial Device or OPSCD and was made out of polyetherketoneketone thermoplastic. The material itself is not rejected by the human body and won’t even interfere with future x-rays.