A research following 14 sufferers who obtained a 3D printed beta-TCP patient-specific implant (PSI) produced from Lithoz’s TCP 300 tricalcium phosphate on a CeraFab system has proven overwhelmingly profitable outcomes. Every of the sufferers underwent jaw corrective surgical procedure between July 9, 2017 and July 31, 2018 and their restoration was noticed over the course of 5 years in a medical research. The outcomes of this not too long ago revealed research discovered that there was a complete grafting success fee of 92.9%.
The surgical procedure in query was a bilateral sagittal break up osteotomy (BSSO), a comparatively frequent process for correcting decrease jaw irregularities, reminiscent of misalignment. With the standard process, nevertheless, there’s a danger of antegonial notching, which may create a concavity within the face and “result in disagreeable aesthetic outcomes”. The medical area has subsequently been exploring new strategies to reduce the chance of notching, together with utilizing patient-specific implants produced from a biocompatible and resorbable ceramic materials.
Again in 2017 and 2018, a collection of patient-specific implants have been 3D printed from Lithoz’s LithaBone TCP 300 tricalcium phosphate materials. These implants have been positioned within the osteotomy gaps of 14 sufferers (9 feminine and 5 male). Within the aftermath of those surgical procedures, the early outcomes have been evaluated, with medical researchers discovering that the β-TCP implants have been positioned with none problems.
The follow-up with the sufferers 5 years later discovered that there have been solely two minor long-term problems, and that the overall grafting success fee was 92.9%. Furthermore, there have been no wound therapeutic points or infections on the surgical web site. This medical research, revealed within the Worldwide Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical procedure, represents the primary long-term scientific research on 3D printed bioceramic PSIs.
Dr. Johannes Homa, Lithoz CEO, mentioned of the paper’s significance: “This primary ever long-term medical follow-up research marks an historic second for the whole additive manufacturing business! These outcomes are usually not solely about celebrating an ideal achievement for our Lithoz LCM expertise. By clinically proving successful fee of over 92%, we’ve set a game-changing milestone within the historical past of surgical procedure to ascertain the 3D printing of patient-specific bioceramic implants as a fully-fledged different alongside conventional surgical interventions.”
The five-year follow-up research is a notable step for ceramic additive manufacturing within the medical sphere and in surgical procedures particularly. Bioceramics like tricalcium phosphate have a number of advantages in surgical procedures, because the supplies are biocompatible and osteoconductive. The power to 3D print these bioceramics implies that sufferers can profit from customized match implants in addition to geometries optimized for osteoconductivity, together with porous implants. Within the medical research’s conclusion, the researchers present “the feasibility and potential of the ß-TCP hole PSI idea as an revolutionary and promising method to stop antegonial notching after BSSO at main surgical procedure and in the long run.”
Lithoz’s ceramic AM options and supplies right now have broad functions throughout healthcare. Final 12 months, for example, the corporate 3D printed a ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant, which was efficiently implanted in a affected person as a part of the EU-funded INKplant venture. Different functions embody the large-scale manufacturing of ultra-thin ceramic insulating sleeves for a laparoscopic instrument (made by BOSCH), affected person particular palatal obturators for treating cleft palates, femoral stem implants for hip surgical procedure, finger joint implants and rather more.
