Cancer patient receives world's first 3D printed titanium sternum and rib cage in surgery


September 11, 2015 ● 638 views

A Spanish cancer patient has received a 3D printed titanium sternum and rib cage designed and manufactured in Australia.

Suffering from a chest wall sarcoma (a type of cancerous tumour that grows, in this instance, around the rib cage), the 54 year old man needed his sternum and a portion of his rib cage replaced. The sternum and rib cage features a complex geometry that means the flat and plate implants traditionally used for this part of the chest can come loose over time. For this reason, the patient’s surgical team determined that a fully customisable 3D printed sternum and rib cage was the best option.

That’s when they turned to Melbourne-based medical device company Anatomics, who designed and manufactured the implant utilising our 3D printing facility, Lab 22.

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