Elbow Prosthesis Design and Creation through 3D Printing Technology

With the application of 3D printing technology, researchers and specialists in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences have succeeded to design and create an elbow prosthesis.

According to WebDa, for the first time, the design and creation of elbow prosthesis applying 3D technology is successfully undertaken by Dr. Syrus Nekouei, associate professor and head of Radiology Department of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Amirhossein Nekouei, member of Scientific Technological and Educational Headquarter in Medicine, with the cooperation of Dr. Amirreza Kachouei, faculty member in Orthopedic Department of the university.

Dr. Syrus Nekouei, associate professor of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences said: through 3D technology, we created an exclusive radius bone prosthesis and implanted the prosthesis in the body of a patient, who had complex elbow fracture. 

He pointed out that: as to a traumatic accident, the patient had a complex dislocation and fracture in the elbow. The anatomic model of the case was firstly created to have a concise understanding of the fracture damages and devising a surgery plan. 

“After getting CT-scan images and designing the model of fracture, the surgeon noticed the complexity of dislocation which was not recognizable in CT images. The diagnosis of the matter could only be made possible through the 3D printing of the fracture”, he added.

 Dr. Syrus Nekouei, also head of Radiology Department of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, highlighted: as to what the surgeon suggested and planned, there was a need to extract the fractured pieces of bone and replace them with prosthesis which (after the resection of that part) demanded to create and manually shape the joint surface of radius bone’s bone cement in the surgery room and then posit it in the location. Common problem with this regard are: inadequate precision of the created piece which often limits the movement of that joint as to the total incompatibility of the new piece, and the interference with the surrounding bones which causes later side effects such as arthritis.

Furthermore, Dr. Amirhossein Nekouei, member of Scientific Technological and Educational Headquarter in Medicine asserted: first, the surgeon located a cutting line on the printed model, then the images were processed in the computer. The image of the radius bone head on the healthy side was uploaded on it. After matching, equalizing and making the cutting edges as close as possible, a shaft was designed on the designed piece to be entered in the medullary canal of the bone (to create mechanical means of retention), such that it must have no interference with the medullar while having the adequate thickness to create retention.

He added: by applying 3D printing, the precise prosthesis of radius bone head was created in a customized mode personalized as the patient’s features. Creating this prosthesis with such a high precision was impossible without 3D printing.

Dr. Amirhossein Nekouei asserted: after the consolidation of cement and the detailed removal of its unnecessary parts, the prosthesis was posited in the bone comfortably. It is interesting that as to the high precision in the piece, all hand movements regarding the elbow was completely doable, and there was no interference in the normal span of elbow movement.