3D Printer Makes Bone from CT Scan

What’s the Latest Development?

Mark Frame, an orthopedic surgical trainee at Scotland’s Monklands Hospital, 3D printed a model of a bone from a CT scan, as preparation for surgery. Rather than using the local rapid prototyping shop at a university (where such an operation might cost $1200 for a miniature model), Frame modelled the bone himself and had it printed at Shapeways (with their advice and some free software tools) for £77 ($121). 

What’s the Big Idea?

Frame said  the bones were in his hands in the U.K. within 7 days of uploading the images. “The resultant models were amazing! We verified them and found them to be virtually identical copies of the bones on the CT scans. The white plastic was a great material to machine and use our normal orthopedic drills and saws and screws on to practice the operation.”