3D printed bones

3D printing is slowly being used more in society. At the dawn of 3D printing’s creation, one could only print simple shapes, and possibly a mechanical part. Now, one can print countless things such as body parts, guns, food, and even clothes! This incredible innovation has brought many advantages to society, and many advancements in fields such as medicine, and science. This manufacturing process has no limits, and it’s abilities keep growing every day. One recent 3D printed item is the bone. On march 4th, 2013, the first skull replacement surgery took place. In this surgery, the surgeons replace the damaged areas of the skull, with 3D printed parts. Although these bones are fully artificial, they still have the similar strength, and properties of a real bone, and can also function exactly like one. A man once had 75% of his skull 3D printed as a result of excessive damage during an accident. The ability to 3D print bones will be able to save hundreds of lives and it will also make treatment much easier and cheaper. Instead of a transplant, robotic part, or even an amputation, people can simply receive the needed bone through 3D printing. The 3D printed bones and other organs also help hospitals save money, since it is much cheaper than a normal transplant. In addition, these 3D printed bones can be easily customized for different patients and their ergonomic needs. This makes the availability much higher, and therefore, it becomes easier to to receive such treatment. From hearts, to bones, 3D printing can evidently be used in medicine in the future. It will absolutely change the way patients are treated, and it will also make the target market much bigger since it is more affordable for people. Although this is a very interesting invention, it still needs to be perfected since there are many factors that were not considered. Factors like the time it can be left in skull-Will the patient need replacements every few years?

The 3D printing of bones exemplifies the amazing abilities of 3D printing, and it’s various inventions in the future.