Additive manufacturing (AM) in medicine continues to grow every year. It’s a remarkable catalyst, but the industry faces barriers to slow adoption for patient safety. Even so, AM has seen significant acceptance, with huge growth on the horizon.

AM shines for the manufacture of unique parts and products with complex and organic shapes. This mimics how nature makes each part of the human body unique. Medical device producers discovered this years ago, applying the technology to the production of in-the-ear hearing aids, most of which are personalized. Today, the shells of these hearing aids are made in AM. The hearing aid industry was an early adopter of AM with most major manufacturers including Phonak, ReSound, Singia (formerly Siemens), Starkey and Widex. This shows how AM can become a go-to production method when the application is perfectly matched to the technology.

AM for medical implants is also important. They require complex textures, called trabecular surfaces, to integrate with surrounding tissues. AM is the most efficient method for these structures in infinitely variable models. Stryker has used AM to produce more than 300,000 braces for patients, many with trabecular surfaces.

The production of implants using AM is already a mature and expanding industry, but mainly for standard products and sizes. Examples: hip cups, spinal implants and knee replacements. Custom implants are used, but are more expensive. Each implant must be modeled from scanned data, constructed and verified. We believe that custom implants will become more common in the future.

The Center for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) at the Central University of Technology in South Africa has used titanium facial implants for years to successfully treat cancer patients. Recently, the CPMR designed cages in the implant to contain proteins that stimulate the internal growth of the jaw bone. After treatment and bone growth, the patient can receive dental implants.

Medical products must be authorized by governing bodies such as the United States Food and Drug Administration and the American Medical Association. In July 2019, the American College of Radiology led the industry in taking a huge step towards adopting AM. Class III Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes have been promulgated, which is the first step in reimbursing patients for treatments involving models made by AM. Two codes have been approved for anatomical models and two for surgical cutting guides. Without these codes, receiving reimbursement for these expenses can be very difficult.

To push standardization initiatives, more AM medical case data needs to be published, showing that AM-based treatments are safe and effective. Fortunately, the number of AF-related articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals more than doubled from 2014 to 2018.

Influential groups are formed to help advance the adoption of AM in the medical industry. One such group, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 3D Printing Special Interest Group, now has 500 members and continues to grow. This is a strong sign that support for the adoption of medical AM is high.

In-house AM services in hospitals are also spreading and growing. By the end of 2019, more than 160 hospitals in the United States alone had a central 3D printing facility of some type.

Hospitals without on-site AM capabilities can find support from groups such as CPMR South Africa. According to Professor Deon de Beer and Dr Gerrie Booysen, surgery time, including access to intensive care, high-level care facilities and time spent by medical staff, is cut in half when AM is used . The patient’s recovery is also faster and the results are more satisfactory.

Today, what we see of AM in the medical field is just the tip of the iceberg. Other topics such as regenerative medicine, 3D bioprinting, stem cell research, 3D printed medicines and personalized medical devices point to a future where AM could benefit the quality of life of every being. human.