A step ahead in medical expertise was achieved with the profitable implantation of the primary 3D printed ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant at Kepler College Hospital. The process is a part of the INKplant venture, an EU-funded initiative involving 19 interdisciplinary companions. Developed by Austrian ceramic 3D printing specialist Lithoz and led by Profactor GmbH, the 3D printed dental implant targets sufferers affected by extreme jaw atrophy—a situation the place the lack of enamel results in important bone deterioration, making conventional dentures or implants untenable.
Usually, therapy would require invasive bone grafting, unsuitable for a lot of aged sufferers on account of related well being dangers. Nevertheless, this progressive implant requires no bone grafting and is designed to reduce surgical intervention and restoration time. Manufactured from biocompatible high-strength zirconia utilizing Lithoz LCM expertise, the 3D implant was particularly designed to suit beneath the periosteum (a dense layer of vascular connective tissue enveloping the bones) with just one surgical process wanted, lowering restoration time by an estimated 75%.
The 3D printed design was a collaborative effort led by the Centre for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering on the Medical College of Vienna and Dr. Christoph Staudigl, with further contributions from BTI Biotechnology Institute and BioMed Centre Innovation GmbH. Following the profitable implantation, the implant is anticipated to be patented and mass-produced by Agensmed GmbH, profiting from Lithoz’s 3D printing capabilities.
3D Printing Medical Implants
Earlier this yr, the Stratasys J5 Digital Anatomy 3D printer launched at RAPID + TCT. This superior system is designed for creating real looking, patient-specific anatomical fashions, that are essential for preoperative planning. These 3D printed medical fashions assist in lowering surgical planning time and prices whereas enhancing affected person outcomes by offering extremely correct, biomechanically appropriate representations of human tissues and buildings.
Elsewhere, Materialise has expanded its medical portfolio by buying FEops, an organization specializing in predictive planning for structural coronary heart interventions. This acquisition underscores the rising position of 3D printing and digital planning in advanced medical procedures, guaranteeing that implants and surgical plans are tailor-made to the distinctive anatomical options of every affected person.
Medical Trials and Future Implications
With the preliminary success of the ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant exhibiting promising outcomes—medical stability was noticed after 60 days—plans are underway to provoke a medical trial to systematically assess its efficacy. This trial might be essential in figuring out the ceramic subperiosteal jaw implant potential to change into an ordinary therapy for extreme atrophic jaws.
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