Posts tagged: MedicalOrthopedic Implants

Welcome to this month’s AM Focus Medical. For the entire month of February, we are going to zoom in on the many possibilities that additive manufacturing is offering today to medical companies. This segment of AM is literally booming and incredibly exciting. In this first episode, we are taking a closer look at Stryker additive manufacturing activities. Upcoming episodes will include many different types of players in this segment, ranging from highly innovative startups to giant multinational corporations. Stay tuned because it’s going to be a lot to take in. But don’t worry, at the end of the month all the best content will be featured in 3dpbm’s Medical AM Focus 2020 eBook.

DePuy Synthes, a medical device company owned by Johnson & Johnson, has expanded its range of 3D printed interbody implants for treating degenerative spine disease with the release of the CONDUIT Interbody Platform with EIT Cellular Titanium Technology.

Indiana-based medical device manufacturer Nexxt Spine has announced that its NEXXT MATRIXX Stand Alone Cervical System has been approved by the FDA, receiving FDA 510(k) clearance. The spinal solution is a stand-alone anterior cervical interbody fusion system manufactured using GE Additive’s Mlab 100R metal 3D printer.

Though not broadly adopted yet, 3D printed spinal implants have the potential to change the landscape for spine-related surgeries, as they can be customized to fit the patient’s anatomy perfectly—unlike more commonly used off-the-shelf implants. However, a number of challenges still stand in the way of the broad implementation of the bespoke 3D printed implants, largely related to cost, complexity of process and standards.

Additive Orthopaedics, a New Jersey-based producer of next-gen orthopaedic devices for the foot and ankle, has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Patient Specific 3D Printed Locking Lattice Plates. The recently approved 3D printed device is designated for the alignment, stabilization and fusion of fractures, osteotomies and arthrodesis of the foot, ankle or other small bones.

We often talk about the potential of additive manufacturing to revolutionize the medical industry through implants, but there is one healthcare area where 3D printed implants are already having very real impacts: in the veterinary field.

Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) have leveraged Optomec’s LENS Hybrid Controlled Atmosphere system in the development of 3D printed dissolvable magnesium structures. The dissolvable components are being investigated for medical applications and, specifically, the production of patient-specific implants.

Medical device firm Osseus Fusion Systems has announced that its Aries family of 3D printed lumbar interbody fusion devices have received FDA 510(k) clearance. The approval marks one of the largest FDA clearances for a family of 3D printed spinal devices of that kind.

Stryker’s Spine division today announced the publication of a pre-clinical animal study comparing the performance of spinal implants made from a variety of materials, which illustrated the bone ingrowth and biological fixation capabilities of its 3D-printed Tritanium cages. The study, titled “Bony Ingrowth Potential of 3D Printed Porous Titanium Alloy: A Direct Comparison of Interbody Cage Materials in an In Vivo Ovine Lumbar Fusion Model,” was published in the July issue of The Spine Journal.

While we’ve always known turmeric to be a versatile spice—it’s great in curries and lattes!—we didn’t realize just how multi-use it could be. Now, however, thanks to a research initiative coming out of Washington State University (WSU), the benefits of using turmeric in the production of 3D printed ceramic bone scaffolds have become apparent.