3D-printed Cutting Guides for Lower Limb Deformity Correction in the Young Population

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) virtual surgical planning technology aids in correcting long bone deformities.
• It enables the creation of 3D stereolithographic models, patient-specific instruments, and surgical-guiding templates.
• This study focuses on its application in young patients with complex 3-plane lower-limb deformities requiring corrective osteotomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of 3D virtual surgical planning in corrective osteotomies for complex lower-limb deformities in pediatric patients.
• To compare clinical outcomes, including operative time and blood loss, with traditional surgical approaches.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 17 young patients (average age 14.7 years).
• Preoperative planning involved creating 3D virtual models from CT images.
• Patient-specific femoral and tibial cutting guides with locking points were designed and used intraoperatively.

Main Results:

• All osteotomies in the 3D group were performed using customized cutting guides, aligning with preoperative simulations.
• Surgical time was reduced in the 3D group (101±6.2 min) compared to the control group (126.4±16.1 min).
• Intraoperative blood loss was comparable (2.1±0.2 g/dL in 3D vs. 2.5±0.3 g/dL in control), and satisfactory limb alignment was achieved with an average bone union time of 10.3 weeks.

Conclusions:

• The implementation of 3D-printed models and patient-specific cutting guides significantly enhances clinical outcomes for osteotomies in pediatric patients with complex lower-limb bone deformities.
• This technology offers improved precision and efficiency in surgical correction.