Doctor (and Which Medical Device Editor-in-Chief) Creates New Pelvis Using a 3D Printer
Published date : 11 February 2014
Article date : 11 February 2014
The Daily Telegraph (UK) reports that a patient who lost half his pelvis to bone cancer has had a replacement which was created by a 3D printer.
Craig Gerrand, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon (who is also an Editor-in-Chief for whichmedicaldevice.com) and the team from the North of England Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service at Freeman Hospital carried out this novel reconstruction on an unnamed man in his 60s three years ago. This device won Which Medical Device Device of the Year in 2011, but has just been reported by the national press as part of a discussion about innovation in surgery.
The patient, who had half his pelvis removed because of a rare cancer called chondrosarcoma, is now walking again with the aid of a stick. Craig said that so much bone had to be removed to stop the spread of cancer, a standard implant would not have been feasible.
