Additively manufactured rib prosthesis saves 71-year-old’s life

Chris Pockett, head of communications at Renishaw, stated: “We are delighted to have been the subcontractor for this complex 3D printed titanium implant designed in-house by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board. The implant was produced on a Renishaw metal additive manufacturing (AM) machine at our Miskin facility near Cardiff, where all our AM systems are manufactured.”

To remove the sarcoma, the patient's surgeons had to remove part of his sternum and three of his ribs. Without a prosthesis, this would have left his chest in an extremely unstable condition.

Heather Goodrum, biomedical 3D technician and Peter Llewelyn Evans, manager of Maxillofacial Laboratory Services at Morriston Hospital, designed the implant using data from CT scans of the patient’s chest. Renishaw then produced the implant from titanium using its additive manufacturing technology, to the specification of the hospital.

“Additive manufacturing allowed us to produce an implant that was an excellent fit for the patient,” explained Ed Littlewood, marketing manager at Renishaw’s Medical and Dental Products Division. “Conventional prostheses are produced during surgery, once the affected area has been examined and the correct fit determined. Producing the implant in advance meant the surgery time was reduced, which benefitted the patient and the surgeon.”

The remaining bone in the patient’s ribcage was narrow and soft. Conventional prostheses, which are made of biocompatible cement, would not have been strong enough to support this bone.

Due to patient’s successful recovery, Morriston Hospital is planning to use additively manufactured implants to treat future patients of this kind.

Renishaw’s Medical and Dental Products Division offers metal AM systems to additively manufacture a range of products for healthcare applications, including patient-specific implants (PSIs) for craniomaxillofacial surgery and dental frameworks.

Renishaw www.renishaw.com/healthcare