Patient gets printed rib

Wednesday April 4th, 2018

For the first time in the UK, a “printed” prosthetic rib has been transplanted into a patient during surgery, it has been announced.

The prosthetic rib was used as part of a chest operation to treat 71-year-old Peter Maggs for a sarcoma. It was created to be a perfect fit for Mr Maggs, by Morriston Hospital in Swansea, UK, together with the UK-based engineering company Renishaw Plc.

The operation involved the removal of part of Mr Maggs' sternum and three of his ribs, requiring the prosthesis, made from titanium using information from CT scans.

Peter Llewelyn Evans, maxillofacial laboratory services manager at the hospital,said: “Traditionally, the patient would have been fitted with a Polymethyl Methacrylate implant, which can only be hand-fashioned during surgery.

“Additive manufacturing allowed us to save around two hours of surgery time, because the implant could be designed and manufactured prior to the procedure. The shorter the procedure time, the better it is for the health of the patient.

“Being able to manufacture the implant from titanium also increased its biocompatibility and closeness to the original bone structure, both leading to a better outcome for the patient.”

Tags: Cancer | General Health | UK News

Printer friendly page