Mechanical engineers at The University of Texas at Dallas have developed a pioneering 3D-printed femur aimed at improving surgical preparation and advancing treatments for bone tumors. This innovation, a collaborative effort with orthopedic surgeons at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been detailed in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.
The research emphasizes specific 3D-printing parameters for the femoral midsection, establishing a foundation for the artificial bone's use in biomechanical testing. While the technology shows significant potential, additional studies are required before it can be integrated into standard medical practices.
Traditionally, surgeons depend on cadavers or commercially available synthetic bones for biomechanical research and surgical training. These resources can be expensive, challenging to procure, and may not be tailored to individual patient needs.
In search of a more effective solution, researchers from UT Southwestern, including orthopedic oncology surgeon Robert Weinschenk and hand surgeon Richard Samade, collaborated with Wei Li, a 3D printing expert at UT Dallas.
Li stated, "To make plans for surgery, surgeons need to know the geometry of the bone. With 3D printing, we're able to print out the femur bone sample with the same geometry of the femur inside the body."
UT Dallas doctoral student Kishore Mysore Nagaraja led the development of the femur replicas in Li's Comprehensive Advanced Manufacturing Lab. He performed a series of tests to ensure that the artificial bones' mechanical performance and material properties closely resemble those of actual femurs.
Mysore Nagaraja expressed, "This collaborative experience is the best thing a student could ask for. To get an evaluation of my testing research directly from the doctors who are going to use it is a very good validation of our research."
Constructed from polylactic acid—a bio-based, biodegradable polymer—the 3D-printed femur is nearly 8 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter. Remarkably, the production cost for each femur is only $7, with biomechanical properties comparable to human femurs.
The technology holds promise for further applications, potentially replacing traditional bone repair materials like titanium. Additionally, Li anticipates the possibility of printing tumors on these femur models for treatment testing or even using these replicas to cultivate human bone tissue in the future.