White Paper of 3D Printing Orthopedic Implant 2.0

Special thanks to Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical 3D Printing Innovation Research Center for their support of this white paper.

Orthopedic implant manufacturing is one of the earliest applications of 3D printing technology achieved industrialization.

By the end of 2017, there have been more than 100 3D printed medical devices that have approved by FDA, including several spine implants and joint implants made by different brands.

In China, there are three 3D printed metal orthopedic implant products that have obtained medical device registration certificates. In addition, the application of 3D printed orthopedic implants in clinical treatment of some top class hospitals in China is at the international advanced level. For example, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University used the 3D printed personalized prosthesis for pelvic tumor resection and reconstruction. In the clinical treatment of the disease, it achieved a breakthrough from “cutting the foot to fit the shoes” to “cut out garments to fit the body”. The personalized prosthesis achieves adaptation in three aspects: morphology, mechanics and biology.

From a commercial point of view, the need for clinical treatment from orthopedics has brought great potential for the development of 3D printing orthopedic implants. However, the industrialized speed of 3D printed implants is not as fast as expected in China. So, what are the factors that influence the development of 3D printed orthopedic implant applications? What are the favorable factors? What are the problems to be overcome? What are the rigid demands for 3D printing technology in orthopedic clinical treatment? What are the non-rigid demands？

To explore these issues, 3D Science Valley collaborated with the Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical 3D Printing Innovation Research Center on December 22, 2018 to host the AME 3D Printing Excellence Forum on the theme “Transformation of Orthopaedic Implant Manufacturing.” Combining the expertise of the AME Forum with market observations in the field of orthopedic implant manufacturing, 3D Science Valley launched the 3D Printing and Orthopedic Implant White Paper 2.0.