Thanks to 3D printing, dentists are creating better braces that are less invasive to the patient. These medical applications benefit humans and animals alike. Specifically, those using 3D printing for veterinary purposes have helped veterinary surgeons practice surgeries, design and test prosthetics, as well as giving them the ability to create biologically safe implants. 3D printing has proven to be extremely flexible and cost-effective for veterinary practitioners. 3D printers can create objects from common materials. These materials include but are not limited to metals, dozens of different types of plastics, powders, and even the essential structures for living tissue to use as scaffolding. One particular material is a super fine ground plaster. When infiltrated with a kind of superglue, it resembles the density of bone. Different types of hardeners can provide a close representation. Some medical teams are actually depositing cells that can grow on the 3D-printed structures.
Due to its effectiveness, 3D printing is now being incorporated into the curriculum of many veterinary colleges. While it is still a cutting-edge clinical tool, it is being used for educational purposes because the students are going to be exposed to it when they graduate. In this article, we will take a look at a few practical applications 3D printing has in the field of veterinary medicine.
How Veterinary Medicine Uses 3D Printing
The flexibility of 3D printers opens up endless possibilities for veterinarians. One can manufacture anything as long as it’s been created as a 3D solid file. Meaning the geometry created must be water-tight. These surgeons and practitioners are using 3D printing to better prepare for surgery. They are creating prosthetics and tools to ensure the surgery is as quick as possible. Veterinarians can use CAT scans as the basis for their model, making the manufactured pieces highly accurate. Reviewing the conditions that exist in each patient, they can develop tools and methods to plan the surgery, while reviewing the actual condition in the patient. Let’s take a look at some specific examples of how veterinarians currently use 3D printing.
Surgical Models
One of the most popular applications of 3D printing among veterinarians is to create 3D surgical models. It allows surgeons to accurately represent various parts of the animal body, such as the skull and bones. Such models help when it comes to measuring injuries and deformities, as well as conducting pre-surgery morphological assessments. On top of that, 3D models are especially useful when it comes to explaining the situation to the owners of a pet. Based on models created with 3D printing, veterinarians can create implants that fit precisely as they should. Before an actual surgical procedure, veterinarians would often perform the procedure on an accurately rendered 3D model. Researchers would even use printed models to test out new methods and develop new techniques for complex procedures. 3D printed models also find their use in education. Some universities use such models to teach students bone fixation and surgical practice. Overall, 3D printing presents useful opportunities for both experienced veterinarians and students alike.
Prosthetics and Orthotics
In 2014, the dog Derby became the proud owner of the first-ever 3D-printed animal prosthetic. Derby suffered from a birth defect that resulted in small forelegs and no front paws. With the help of the 3D-printed prosthetics, Derby was able to walk normally and even run. Moreover, the process itself was cheap and quick. Derby’s case proved that 3D-printed animal prosthetics are an affordable and effective solution. Other notable cases of successful 3D-printed prosthetics in animals include the bird that receives a 3D printed beak. With the recent innovations in the field and continued testing, we can expect more animals to receive help in this way.
Post-Surgery Masks
Masks are essential in helping animals recover from surgical procedures or damage to bones and joints. They help animals heal without the risk of reopening a wound or dislocating their bones. 3D printing allows veterinarians to manufacture masks that fit perfectly and act as a sturdy support structure in some cases. Creating a functional cast can be especially difficult for certain body parts, such as the face, for example. However, with 3D printing, veterinarians can design masks that perfectly follow the contour of the animal’s face.
The Benefits of 3D Printing for Veterinarians
As you can see, 3D printing has a lot of practical applications in the field of veterinary medicine. From prosthetics and orthopedic implants to models that help with surgical preparation and education, veterinarians now have effective tools with which they can work to improve and save animal lives. Furthermore, 3D printing allows for the creation of customized surgical tools, thus drastically decreasing the time needed for complex operations.
Perhaps the biggest benefit that 3D printing provides to veterinarians is the fact that it is relatively cheap and easy to execute. Creating prosthetics, custom tools, and models was not a common practice before because it simply wasn’t feasible. With 3D printing, however, complex models can be created in no time and at a relatively low cost. Because of this technological advancement, thousands of animal lives have been either saved or drastically improved.
Conclusion
3D printing is revolutionizing the field of veterinary medicine, among many others. Due to the success and popularity of the method, it is growing at a rate never seen before. It is increasingly taught in universities, preparing future generations of veterinarians to effectively use it in their everyday practice. We can safely say that we expect 3D printing to play an even bigger role in veterinary medicine in the future.