On the basis of the hospital in Chongqing, China, an 84-year-old patient for the first time in the world had a unique operation using 3D printing technology. The use of new technology, Chinese scientists have found in the operation on the knee joint of a person suffering from arthritis. According to statistics, the incidence of arthritis among the elderly at the age of 50 to 59 years is now 62%. And at the moment in the late stages of the disease the only salvation is a complete replacement of the damaged joint, but this is not always effective. "Complete replacement of the knee joint is the most effective way to treat late stage arthritis, as this can reduce patients' pain and improve their quality of life, but bone defects around the joint may occur due to postoperative infections or other causes. Their form is very different, and existing methods do not allow to correct these defects, "Professor Yan Liu said. Therefore, in order to avoid complications, an 84-year-old patient with a knee defect was filled with rare metal tantalum.

It is often used in dental and surgical implants, but more often its alloy is used with titanium, since the metal itself has a high melting point. To overcome this limitation, porous tantalum was developed in the form of special "pads". They were created and printed individually for the patient using computer-aided design and high-precision 3D printing. On the assurances of specialists, such an operation is much easier, and the patient was able to move his foot on the very first day.

Original article: For the first time in the operation on the knee, 3D printing was used.