Design and Fabrication of a Precision Template for Spine Surgery Using Selective Laser Melting (SLM)

Abstract

In order to meet the clinical requirements of spine surgery, this paper proposes the fabrication of the customized template for spine surgery through computer-aided design. A 3D metal printing-selective laser melting (SLM) technique was employed to directly fabricate the 316L stainless steel template, and the metal template with tiny locating holes was used as an auxiliary tool to insert spinal screws inside the patient’s body. To guarantee accurate fabrication of the template for cervical vertebra operation, the contact face was placed upwards to improve the joint quality between the template and the cervical vertebra. The joint surface of the printed template had a roughness of Ra = 13 ± 2 μm. After abrasive blasting, the surface roughness was Ra = 7 ± 0.5 μm. The surgical metal template was bound with the 3D-printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic model. The micro-hardness values determined at the cross-sections of SLM-processed samples varied from HV0.3 250 to HV0.3 280, and the measured tensile strength was in the range of 450 MPa to 560 MPa, which showed that the template had requisite strength. Finally, the metal template was clinically used in the patient’s surgical operation, and the screws were inserted precisely as the result of using the auxiliary template. The geometrical parameters of the template hole (e.g., diameter and wall thickness) were optimized, and measures were taken to optimize the key geometrical units (e.g., hole units) in metal 3D printing. Compared to the traditional technology of screw insertion, the use of the surgical metal template enabled the screws to be inserted more easily and accurately during spinal surgery. However, the design of the high-quality template should fully take into account the clinical demands of surgeons, as well as the advice of the designing engineers and operating technicians.

Resistivity and Its Anisotropy Characterization of 3D-Printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Copolymer (ABS)/Carbon Black (CB) Composites

“…As such, the method is potentially profitable for both scientific research [1] and commercial manufacturing [2]. With its rapid development in recent years, 3D printing has evolved from manufacturing prototypes to building functional components in numerous fields, ranging from mechanical engineering [3] and biomedical engineering [4][5][6], to electrochemical studies [7]. For applications in various fields, developing and characterizing printable materials with desired properties are currently key areas of research and development.…”

Application of Personalized Three-Dimensional Printing for Shoulder Joint Prosthesis in the Treatment of Shoulder Joint Tuberculosis: A Case Report

“…Currently, 3D-printing technology is developing rapidly in medical applications, especially in the clinical treatment of bone defects and other orthopedic diseases. [16][17][18][19][20] According to the anatomical structure of the patient's skeleton and the characteristics of the disease itself, 3D-printing technology can now customize personalized prostheses or surgical instruments, building compatibility. Restoring the normal anatomy of the glenohumeral joint as much as possible is the key to achieving good function.…”

Effect of Selective Laser Melting Process Parameters on Microstructure and Properties of Co-Cr Alloy

“…Various industries have begun to pay attention to this technology and a great deal of research, related materials, equipment, and software technology are also becoming increasingly mature. Selective laser melting (SLM) is a new additive manufacture technology that can be used for fabricating complex metallic products, such as porous structure [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], medical devices [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and molds with conformal cooling channels [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. CoCrMo alloys fabricated by SLM have been a research focus for years, because they have great potential in the manufacturing of custom artificial knee joints and oral products.…”