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Novel design for a customized, 3D‐printed surgical template for thoracic spinal arthrodesis
Author(s) -
Naddeo Francesco,
Fontana Carlotta,
Naddeo Alessandro,
Cataldo Emilio,
Cappetti Nicola,
Narciso Nicola
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the international journal of medical robotics and computer assisted surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1478-596X
pISSN - 1478-5951
DOI - 10.1002/rcs.2005
Subject(s) - arthrodesis , computer science , vertebra , 3d printed , cad , reduction (mathematics) , computer aided design , point (geometry) , medicine , biomedical engineering , engineering drawing , surgery , mathematics , engineering , alternative medicine , geometry , pathology , operating system
Background The integration of computer‐aided design/computer‐aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) tools and medicine is rapidly developing for designing medical devices. A novel design for a 3D‐printed patient‐specific surgical template for thoracic pedicle screw insertion, using a procedure based on reverse engineering, is presented. Methods The surgeon chooses the entry point on the vertebra. The optimal insertion direction and the size of the screws are defined via an algorithm on the basis of a patient‐specific vertebra CAD model. The template features an innovative shape for a comfortable and univocal placement and a novel disengaging device. Results Three spinal fusions were performed to test the template. Excellent results were achieved in terms of the accuracy of the screw positioning, reduction in surgery duration, and number of X‐rays. Conclusions A novel design for a customized, 3D‐printed surgical template for thoracic spinal arthrodesis was presented, and improvements in terms of precision, duration, and safety were achieved without changing the standard procedure.