3D printing to aid the surgeon
This is a first in Switzerland: a surgical technique using 3D printing was introduced to position an ankle prosthesis. This operation is carried out regularly and remains very complex. To position the prosthetic implant, the surgeon must make cuts in the bones using extreme precision.
Based on scans of the joint to be operated upon, the new method consists of producing a three-dimensional reproduction of the bones in advance, to simulate the ideal location of the prosthesis and bone cuts. Then, positioning and cutting guides are printed in 3D and used during surgery. These pieces are unique and precise down to the millimetre.
Because every phase of the operation is planned ahead of time, the operation is shorter, and therefore the duration of anaesthesia too.