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Updated: Jan 25, 2026
A 3-dimensional 3D-printed Template for High Throughput Zebrafish Embryo Arraying
Published on: June 1, 2018
Novel design for a customized, 3D-printed surgical template for thoracic spinal arthrodesis
Francesco Naddeo1, Carlotta Fontana1, Alessandro Naddeo1
1Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy.
Background:
The integration of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) tools and medicine is rapidly developing for designing medical devices. A novel design for a 3D-printed patient-specific surgical template for thoracic pedicle screw insertion, using a procedure based on reverse engineering, is presented.
Methods:
The surgeon chooses the entry point on the vertebra. The optimal insertion direction and the size of the screws are defined via an algorithm on the basis of a patient-specific vertebra CAD model. The template features an innovative shape for a comfortable and univocal placement and a novel disengaging device.
Results:
Three spinal fusions were performed to test the template. Excellent results were achieved in terms of the accuracy of the screw positioning, reduction in surgery duration, and number of X-rays.
Conclusions:
A novel design for a customized, 3D-printed surgical template for thoracic spinal arthrodesis was presented, and improvements in terms of precision, duration, and safety were achieved without changing the standard procedure.
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