Clinical applications of 3D printing in spine surgery: a systematic review.

Eur Spine J

In Silico Biomechanics Laboratory, National Center for Spinal Disorders, Buda Health Center, Budapest, Hungary.

Published: January 2025

Purpose: The objective of this systematic review is to present a comprehensive summary of existing research on the use of 3D printing in spinal surgery.

Methods: The researchers conducted a thorough search of four digital databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase) to identify relevant studies published between January 1999 and December 2022. The review focused on various aspects, including the types of objects printed, clinical applications, clinical outcomes, time and cost considerations, 3D printing materials, location of 3D printing, and technologies utilized. Out of the 1620 studies initially identified and the 17 added by manual search, 105 met the inclusion criteria for this review, collectively involving 2088 patients whose surgeries involved 3D printed objects.

Results: The studies presented a variety of 3D printed devices, such as anatomical models, intraoperative navigational templates, and customized implants. The most widely used type of objects are drill guides (53%) and anatomical models (25%) which can also be used for simulating the surgery. Custom made implants are much less frequently used (16% of papers). These devices significantly improved clinical outcomes, particularly enhancing the accuracy of pedicle screw placement. Most studies (88%) reported reduced operation times, although two noted longer times due to procedural complexities. A variety of 3DP technologies and materials were used, with STL, FDM, and SLS common for models and guides, and titanium for implants via EBM, SLM, and DMLS. Materialise software (Mimics, 3-Matic, Magics) was frequently utilized. While most studies mentioned outsourced production, in-house printing was implied in several cases, indicating a trend towards localized 3D printing in spine surgery.

Conclusions: 3D printing in spine surgery, a rapidly growing area of research, is predominantly used for creating drill guides for screw insertion, anatomical models, and innovative implants, enhancing clinical outcomes and reducing operative time. While cost-efficiency remains uncertain due to insufficient data, some 3D printing applications, like pedicle screw drill guides, are already widely accepted and routinely used in hospitals.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00586-024-08594-yDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

printing spine
12
clinical outcomes
12
anatomical models
12
drill guides
12
clinical applications
8
printing
8
spine surgery
8
systematic review
8
pedicle screw
8
clinical
5

Similar Publications

Development and biomechanical evaluation of a 3D printed analogue of the human lumbar spine.

3D Print Med

January 2025

Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St. W (163), Montréal, QC, H3A 0C3, Canada.

Background: There exists a need for validated lumbar spine models in spine biomechanics research. Although cadaveric testing is the current gold standard for spinal implant development, it poses significant issues related to reliability and repeatability due to the wide variability in cadaveric physiologies. Moreover, there are increasing ethical concerns with human dissection practices.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Evaluation of Healthcare Outcomes of Patients Treated with 3D-Printed-Titanium and PEEK Cages During Fusion Procedures in the Lumbar Spine.

Med Devices (Auckl)

January 2025

MedTech Epidemiology and Real-World Data Science, Johnson & Johnson, Raynham, Massachusetts & New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.

Purpose: The objective of this observational, real-world study was to describe reoperation, revision, index healthcare utilization and hospital costs among patients treated with PEEK (polyetheretherketone) or 3D-printed-titanium cages during lumbar/lumbosacral posterior fusion procedures, either TLIF (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion) or PLIF (posterior lumbar interbody fusion). Statistical comparisons were not conducted.

Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective, observational study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Implant fixation is often the cornerstone of musculoskeletal surgical procedures performed to provide bony fixation and/or fusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate how different design features and manufacturing methods influence implant osseointegration and mechanical properties associated with fixation in a standardized model in cancellous bone of adult sheep.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of three titanium alloy implants: (A) iFuse-TORQ implant; (B) Fenestrated Sacroiliac Device; and (C) Standard Cancellous Bone Screw in the cancellous bone of the distal femur and proximal tibia in 8 sheep.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

3D Printed Titanium Scaffolds with Bi-Directional Gradient QK-Functionalized Surface.

Adv Mater

January 2025

National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.

3D printed titanium scaffold has promising applications in orthopedics. However, the bioinert titanium presents challenges for promoting vascularization and tissue growth within the porous scaffold for stable osteointegration. In this study, a modular porous titanium scaffold is created using 3D printing and a gradient-surface strategy to immobilize QK peptide on the surface with a bi-directional gradient distribution.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: While cadaveric dissections remain the cornerstone of education in skull base surgery, they are associated with high costs, difficulty acquiring specimens, and a lack of pathology in anatomical samples. This study evaluated the impact of a hand-crafted three-dimensional (3D)-printed head model and virtual reality (VR) in enhancing skull base surgery training.

Research Question: How effective are 3D-printed models and VR in enhancing training in skull base surgery?

Materials And Methods: A two-day skull base training course was conducted with 12 neurosurgical trainees and 11 faculty members.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!