[3D Printing News] Advantages of 3D Printing in Surgical Hospital Research

[3D Printing News] Advantages of 3D Printing in Surgical Hospital Research

3D printing is being used more and more widely in the medical field, with many applications helping surgeons to plan cosmetic surgery accurately and in detail.
Now, the potential of 3D printing is to help hospitals treat patients fighting for their lives.

ETZ (Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis) is one of the 11 trauma centers in the Netherlands.
As the only center in the country with a 24-hour trauma surgeon, it is also the primary residence for emergency patients in North Brabant. 3D printing is used to visualize fractures, but pioneering researchers believe it can also be used to help treat trauma patients.

ETZ trauma surgeon Mike Bemelman saw the potential of 3D printing as early as 2016. Together with MD Lars Brouwers and trauma surgeon Dr. Koen Lansink, they began to investigate the advantages and effectiveness of 3D printing compared to traditional and other new technologies.
Their idea is to 3D print scans of fractures so that surgeons and patients can clearly understand each condition before surgery.

Before 3D printing

To prepare for surgery, surgeons analyze the patient's CT scan results. Even for experienced surgeons, getting a precise idea of ​​each situation is challenging. The CT scans are converted into 3D reconstructions, allowing surgeons to physically examine them on a computer screen. While this improves understanding of various situations, it has limitations: surgeons sometimes struggle to position the model, and viewing 3D reconstructions on a 2D screen lacks a sense of depth and realism.


Establish the patient's CT scan

3D printing of fractured bones
Lars began using Ultimaker to print fractured bone structures, allowing surgeons to analyze fractures not only by visual inspection but also by touch and rotation.
This adds significant value to the operational planning process. The use of water-soluble PVA support material allows for the accurate reproduction of small cavities with intricate organic geometries, including crucial details.

The process of using 3D printing

One challenge of adopting 3D printing is finding a simple and effective way to convert DICOM files (the proprietary file format for CT scans) into STL format for 3D printing.
Archives. Using the Philips IntelliSpace Portal, Lars can directly export scanned 3D models, which can be prepared in Ultimaker Cura and transferred to [other platforms/systems].
Ultimaker 3 .


Print a 3D model of the fracture from CT scan data.

Beneficial to patients

Once the patient is stable, a CT scan is performed to facilitate diagnosis by the doctor. The CT scan information is immediately available to Lars for use in their 3D printing studio.
There he can begin printing the skeletal structure of the patient's fracture. The 3D print will be ready within a day, and the surgeon will use it to plan the surgery and explain the procedure to the patient.



"Our goal was to investigate whether 3D printing could have added value in classifying acetabular fractures. The most important conclusion of our study is that 3D printing does have its added value."

Results of Lars's study

When a patient suffers a fracture, the doctor will analyze X-rays or 2D CT scans to determine the appropriate treatment plan. The better the understanding of the situation, the more accurately the correct procedure can be identified. The surgeon will use a protocol-based scoring system (commonly known as the Kappa score) to arrive at a solution. On average, surgeons with limited experience using traditional 2D CT images score around 0.2 on the Kappa.
Surgeons with years of experience scored around 0.4 on the Kappa test. Lars studied protocol scores when surgeons used other techniques such as 3D CT, 3D printing, and VR visualization. When using the 3D printing model, both novice and experienced surgeons scored between 0.6 and 0.7, the highest among all methods.


The Kappa score is used to measure consistency among surgeons.

The increased kappa score represents the added value of 3D printing to the decision-making process.
By conducting this study, Lars hopes to demonstrate that 3D printing can provide significant added value to patient satisfaction, surgical satisfaction, surgical time, and health-related quality of life.

Disclaimer: Ultimaker 3D printers are designed and manufactured for fused deposition modeling of Ultimaker engineered thermoplastics in commercial environments.
The combination of precision and speed makes the Ultimaker 3D printer the perfect machine for concept models, functional prototypes, and small-batch production. Although we are using...
Ultimaker Cura has achieved a very high level of 3D model reproduction, but users still have a responsibility to evaluate and verify the application of the printed objects, especially in medical devices and aerospace.

Original link: https://ultimaker.com/en/stories/52516-research-on-the-benefits-of-3d-printing-in-a-trauma-hospital