Impact of In-House 3D Printing used as a Preoperative Planning Aid for Complex Fracture Treatment

This thesis examines the role of 3D printing as a preoperative planning aid for heel bone (intra-articular calcaneus) fractures in a contemporary orthopaedics department. Three studies were conducted, observing model creation time and costs; studying their effects on surgeon diagnostic ability and image interpretation; and finally, the impact of the 3D printed models on surgical times and patient outcomes. This early pilot study demonstrates that there is value in producing 3D printed intra-articular calcaneus fractures for surgeons, patients, and the hospital. Reducing surgery time for complex heel bone fractures by on average 72 minutes and reduced post-operative time in hospital