High-tech medicine: Tailor-made shoulder blade printed from titanium

The experts performed a 3D segmentation of the tumor and the surrounding bone to enable effective reconstruction. A digital twin of the anatomical model was created and printed on a 1:1 scale to support preoperative planning and delineate the resection margins. At the same time, an advanced, customized 3D-printed implant was designed using PTC's Creo software to anchor the remaining muscle stumps and reconstruct the glenohumeral and acromioclavicular joints.

The operation went according to plan, the personalized implant fitted seamlessly and the patient regained her mobility within a few days.

Requirements and challenges

• Maintain the patient's original anatomical volume, shape and kinematics
• Optimize the mechanical properties of the implant while reducing weight
• Provide an optimal set of anchoring points for muscle attachment
• Implement an advanced lattice structure to facilitate connective tissue and muscle ingrowth and avoid support and distortion by utilizing Creo Design for Metal Additive Manufacturing
• Introduce minimal surfaces for smooth joint kinematics
• Utilize advanced mechanical simulations to verify the load capacity of the implant for shoulder and arm movements
• Ensuring manufacturability and reducing printed samples of the implant by using Hexagon's Simufact Additive to simulate and compensate for the thermomechanical processes that deform the parts during printing
• Verifying successful print quality for certification by using Hexagon's VGStudio MAX to process the CT scan data and quality check the complex structure and properties of the printed metal

Personalized medicine

The integration of digital twins, CAD, PLM and certification technologies paves the way for future advances in customized medical products, as demonstrated by the collaboration between Tel Aviv Medical Center, PTC and Hexagon. "Bioactive printed implants are the future of implants! The development of complex implantable printed materials combined with powerful additive manufacturing and simulation software allows us to introduce smart implants into the world of surgery. These implants interact with tissue to optimize their persistence in the body, ensure a perfect fit and promote tissue growth," said Dr. Solomon Dadia, Head of Surgical Innovation and 3D Printing, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. "These advances mark a new era in personalized medicine."