[Customized 3D cutting guides : what applications in orthopedic surgery ?].

3D printing is a technology that has been evolving rapidly over the past twenty years. It is an additive manufacturing process which allows the creation of objects without geometry restrictions. This process has applications in orthopaedic surgery through personalized cutting guides and implants which offer the possibility to treat complex pathologies such as tumoral surgery, architectural defects of the acetabulum and malunions. Although their use cannot be recommended for routine knee and hip prosthetic surgery, their value in high tibial osteotomies seems promising. Despite its high cost, this technology is of growing interest in orthopaedic surgery.