News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
U.S. company creating patient-specific spinal implants Nivalon Medical Technologies has developed what it describes as the first fully patient-specific spinal implant that preserves natural motion without metal components. The device combines AI-driven design with advanced ceramic 3D printing, using a zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) structure and a flexible core to replicate spinal movement.
Researchers at Guangxi Medical University Hospital in China used 3D printing to produce custom titanium prostheses with mesh patches for five patients with distal radius giant cell tumors between 2018 and 2021. By precisely matching each patient’s anatomy, the implants improved ligament attachment, joint stability, and early wrist mobility.
Danish digital orthopedic manufacturing company Create it REAL has partnered with Monterrey-based Vitalitecs to expand access to advanced digital production technologies for orthopedic devices across Mexico. Announced in January 2026, the collaboration aims to support the local production of patient-specific orthotics, prosthetics, and medical devices using 3D printing-enabled workflows.
Open-source medical device developer Glia has produced and used an external fixator for severe fractures that is designed and manufactured inside the territory, using locally available resources.
U.S. private research university Carnegie Mellon University has received up to $28.5 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop a 3D bioprinted, immune-compatible liver designed to temporarily support patients with acute liver failure, potentially reducing the need for full organ transplants and advancing regenerative medicine.
Lincotek’s Medical Division has secured FDA 510(k) clearance for its SpineLinc anterior cervical implant system, a 3D printed device manufactured in Memphis and now available to orthopedic OEMs.
The UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) is working on a federally funded research effort aimed at producing functional liver tissue using 3D printing.
A small 3D printer is now being used by clinicians at British Columbia Cancer Kelowna to create patient-specific tools for brachytherapy, enabling more accurate radiation delivery for people with cervical, vaginal, and recurrent endometrial cancers.
FUGO Precision 3D, a developer of 3D printing technology for dental manufacturing, has announced a strategic collaboration with South Korea’s Graphy, a developer of photopolymer materials for 3D printing, ahead of its official market debut at LMT Lab Day 2026 in Chicago. The partnership will integrate Graphy’s advanced photopolymer materials into FUGO’s centrifugal 3D printing platform, creating a streamlined, high-precision workflow for dental applications.
Researchers from McGill University Health Centre Research Institute (RI-MUHC) are using virtual reality (VR) and 3D printing to study whether damaged lungs could one day be repaired rather than replaced through transplantation. In one of the institute’s laboratories in Montreal, the team is using VR headsets to examine detailed digital models of lung anatomy, moving through airways to identify damaged areas and plan where 3D printed, hollow components could be used to connect healthy sections of the organ.