It is not uncommon for people to break bones or lose bones due to accidents or diseases. As a treatment, doctors implant bone grafts or bone tissue fragments from donors and fix them in place with wires and screws to help the body regenerate healthy bone structures.
Unfortunately, there are some obvious flaws in this process. First, the bone graft must be cut to accurately adapt to the position of the old bone. Second, if a metal plate or scaffold is inserted during surgery, it usually needs to be surgically removed. Finally, for those who lose a lot of bones, such as in the arm or leg, the usual choice is amputation.
3D printing bones can change all this, making the process more natural and convenient. Doctors will no longer need to remove a bone graft from another bone or find a bone donor: they can simply scan the area and model the structure of the new bone.
Using three-dimensional scanning technology and modeling, each implant can be accurately formed with the patient's bone. Production speed is also very important. When looking to save a limb, this is another reason. 3D printing is a good candidate solution.
Once created by a 3D printer, bones can be implanted into patients. Ideally, bone grafts will dissolve as new bone grows, reducing the need for more surgery. Although such bones can be printed with compounds similar to natural bone, researchers are also studying printing bones in other materials with special properties.
