14 DAY TRIAL // We've seen 3D-printed implants, 3D-printed replacement skulls, even 3D-printed spine cage used in a spinal fusion surgery, and now we hear about the first shoulder prosthesis in the Netherlands.
A patient at the Rijnland Hospital in Leiderdorp will receive a 3D-printed shoulder and glenoid cavity prosthesis. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Cornelis Visser will perform the operation.
In theory, the surgery should restore the full range of motion to the person's shoulder once the last of the cuts have healed and the stitches are taken out.
The prosthesis, as it has become common for this rapidly growing field, was developed based on a CT scan of the shoulder, which produced a 3D image according to which the virtual model of the implant was shaped via CAD software.
There are other shoulder replacements, but they never truly feel natural, nor do they have an equal distribution of force on the joint. The 3D-printed one does, so it should last longer.
Normal prosthesis should last for 15-20 years, but only if the recipient obeys the limits imposed by the doctor. The newest solution should have no restrictions and still last for just as long, if not longer. There is no way to know for sure if this is true until the allotted time passes though, which, obviously, will take a while.