World's first 3D-printed lower jaw implant gives 83-year old patient her bite back

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The ability to create your own replacement curtain rings, door knobs or even a custom chess set at home using a 3D printer like the Replicator or the Cubify 3D printer has the potential to knock global production models on their heads. Such advances are certainly impressive but not quite in the same league as those being made in the field of medicine. We've already seen small bone-like objects printed by Washington State University researchers, and now an 83-year old patient with a serious jaw infection has become the first person to receive a full 3D-printed titanium lower jaw implant. Amazingly, the combined effort by researchers and engineers from Belgium and the Netherlands is said to have allowed the patient unrestricted mandibular movement within a day of surgery... Continue Reading World's first 3D-printed lower jaw implant gives 83-year old patient her bite back

Section: Health and Wellbeing

Tags: 3D Printer, Medical, Surgery, Titanium, University of Hasselt

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