Laparoscopic Acetabular Fracture Fixation after Three-dimensional Modelling and Printing

Current surgical treatment of acetabular fractures is open reduction and internal fixation and requires a large incision resulting in considerable blood loss and a potentially long duration of recovery. We report a case of an acetabular fracture that received laparoscopic internal fixation after three-dimensional (3D) modelling and printing of the acetabulum. A 43 year old male fell from a height of 3 m resulting in a right acetabulum anterior column fracture. Thin section computed tomography scanning with 0.6 mm increments and subsequent 3D reconstruction was performed, and a 3D model of the acetabulum and fracture was printed. The steel reconstruction plate was prebent in vivo and placed into the optimized position based on the 3D modelling and the optimized insert orientation and measured screw length were determined. The fracture was reduced and the plate placed laparoscopically without complications, and the patient had excellent functional recovery. Acetabular fractures are complex injuries, and while minimally invasive surgical techniques are used in many fields, they are not common for the treatment of acetabular fractures. 3D modelling is commonly used in medicine, and although 3D printing is used in some fields, it has not found widespread use in orthopedics.