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Progress in the Application of 3D Printing Technology in Spine Surgery

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Abstract

We are in the midst of exciting advancements in new technologies and innovative research in precision medicine. Among these, 3D printing is one of the most frequently seen in clinical orthopaedic settings. This new technique has been adopted in a vast range of applications in spine surgery, such as producing anatomical models, surgical templates, preoperative plans, and spinal implants. Some studies on 3D printing technologies in spine surgery have reported the benefits of this emerging technology with more effective manufacturing, more visualisation for communication, and more precise navigation for screw insertion and osteotomy. In addition, in customised implant design and fabrication processes, 3D printing products with anatomical adaptions and complex porous microstructure show some attractive advantages in terms of fit and osteoinductivity. However, there are still some concerns about the safety and feasibility of the application of 3D printing technology in spine surgery. We review the literature on and share our experiences with the application of 3D printing from the beginning of collaborations between doctors and computer-aided design (CAD) designers to the final follow-up of clinical patients.

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Implants, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China

    Xiaojiang Sun  (孙晓江), Erzhu Yang  (杨二柱), Changqing Zhao  (赵长清), Xiaofei Cheng  (程晓非), Kai Zhang  (张 凯), Haijun Tian  (田海军), Baozhi Ding  (丁宝志), Hua Li  (李 华), Wenbo Jiang  (姜闻博), Kerong Dai  (戴尅戎) & Jie Zhao  (赵 杰)

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  1. Xiaojiang Sun  (孙晓江)
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  2. Erzhu Yang  (杨二柱)
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  3. Changqing Zhao  (赵长清)
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  4. Xiaofei Cheng  (程晓非)
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  5. Kai Zhang  (张 凯)
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  6. Haijun Tian  (田海军)
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  8. Hua Li  (李 华)
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  9. Wenbo Jiang  (姜闻博)
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  10. Kerong Dai  (戴尅戎)
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  11. Jie Zhao  (赵 杰)
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Kerong Dai  (戴尅戎) or Jie Zhao  (赵 杰).

Additional information

Foundation item: the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFB1104104), and the Special Foundation for Innovation of Science and Technology of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Nos. GXQ201810 and GXQ202003)

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Sun, X., Yang, E., Zhao, C. et al. Progress in the Application of 3D Printing Technology in Spine Surgery. J. Shanghai Jiaotong Univ. (Sci.) 26, 352–360 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12204-021-2304-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12204-021-2304-6

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