3D printed products could treat head injuries

The first 3D printed products for the health sector are ready and will begin the experimental phase at the Rizzoli Institute. They will initially be used to treat contusions, sprains and fractures in the wrist area. Made from PLA, the products cost approximately €2 rather than the current cost of€30. The 3D printed products, which are perforated for transpiration, allow for electro-stimulation. After the wrist, the project is set to move on to other body parts, starting with the elbow and the knee.

WASP and the Banca delle Cellule e del Tessuto Muscoloscheletrico are also in the process of completing the development, testing and standardisation phase of 3D printed replacements for the cranial bone taken directly from the patient’s CT scan data. These will be 3D dowels of the same size as the missing bone parts, of which they will have to accurately mimic the anatomy and physiology. The goal is to facilitate previously unknown bone regeneration. The companies expect the first prototypes to become available within the next few months and to be operating on patients as early as 2016.