Three-dimensional printing in orthopaedic surgery: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a rapidly advancing technology with growing applications in various surgical fields.
• Its use in orthopaedics spans pre-operative planning, patient-specific instrumentation (PSI), and the creation of patient-specific implants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications of 3DP in orthopaedic surgery.
• To analyze geographical and temporal trends in 3DP adoption within the field.
• To assess the impact of 3DP on peri-operative outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of 108 studies published between 2012 and 2018.
• Studies included a total of 2328 participants.
• Data extraction focused on 3DP applications, materials, surgical specialties, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Over half of the reviewed studies originated from China.
• Titanium was the most frequently utilized material for 3DP in orthopaedics.
• 3DP was most commonly applied in trauma (41 studies) and oncology (22 studies), with pre-operative planning being the primary use (63 studies).

Conclusions:

• Three-dimensional printing is becoming more prevalent in orthopaedic surgery, particularly for complex cases.
• The technology offers a diverse range of applications, including planning, instrumentation, and implants.
• Emerging evidence suggests potential peri-operative benefits associated with the use of 3DP.