As the pace of 3D printing innovation accelerates, both adoption of personalized devices as well as new, mind-boggling applications of the technology are surging. Medical device manufacturers are increasingly integrating additive manufacturing (AM) to cost-effectively produce patient-specific implants, surgical instruments, and models, which in turn, empower surgeons and help drive improved outcomes for their patients.
In fact, the global 3D printing of medical devices is a rapidly growing market, with estimated global sales of $2.45 billion in 2023 alone according to a Global Innovative Markets Forecast (USD).1 The pace of adoption is expected to drive the global sales number toward $9.8 billion by 2031, reflective of a CAGR of 16.1%.2
To fuel adoption of 3D printing technologies and to expand applications to increasingly complex cases, 3D Systems continues to evolve its comprehensive portfolio of 3D printers, software, consultative services, and FDA-approved workflows.
Recent advances in AM materials, software, and workflows are empowering manufacturers and surgeons in important new ways:
Additionally, patient-specific innovations—including planning visualizations, implants, and surgical guides—are helping surgeons tailor treatment based on individual patient needs, preferences, and characteristics across all stages of care. Together, these advancements enable manufacturers to expand their portfolios and enable healthcare professionals to more seamlessly provide highly personalized and individualized care to patients.
3D Systems and Exactech pioneered an innovation in 3D-printed medical devices, developing the Vantage Ankle PSI. Orthopaedic surgery has been exploring the benefits of patient-specific instrumentation for some time now, but solutions like the Vantage Ankle PSI are making these cases more practical and efficient.
The need: Total ankle arthroplasty is a surgical procedure that replaces the entire ankle apparatus with prosthetic parts. It can be an extremely effective treatment for arthritis. It’s also a very popular form of arthroplasty with an 8.4% compound annual growth rate. The year 2026 will see it bring an expected $327 million in revenue.4 Using VSP® surgical planning, our team along with Exactech saw a unique opportunity to bring personalization to these procedures through the collaborative development of patient-specific cutting guides.
The solution: Based on medical imaging data from the patient, Vantage produces nylon osteotomy guides that are biocompatible, sterilizable, and completely patient-specific.
The results: For the patient, the result is a better healing outcome and recovery process, leading to a higher quality of life that could be lifechanging. For the surgeon, a personalized surgical plan, implants, and guides can mean less time in the operating room and patient-specific devices have been shown to improve outcomes.
This is just one example of 3D-printing rising to suit the unique characteristics of all parties involved in orthopaedic surgery. Imagine if you could get personalized tailoring at the same level of availability and for the same price as an off-the-rack suit. In fact, let’s stretch the metaphor to make it even more appropriate: imagine that somehow your whole ability to walk and get around depended on having a good suit. This is the kind of transformation we’re witnessing in orthopaedic surgery, thanks to advances in 3D printing.
More importantly, this kind of precision medicine would not have been possible without collaboration. AM manufacturers, like 3D Systems, are working closely with device manufacturers and healthcare professionals to create solutions that perform better for both surgeons and patients. Cross-organizational teams are integrating their AM and device expertise, building smart new workflows and applying regulatory understanding that has been refined through years of clinical experience.
As collaborations like these continue to revolutionize patient care, we can expect innovations like Vantage Ankle PSI to see new popularity over off-the-shelf medical implants. Medicine has always been personal; now, because of AM, it’s becoming personalized.
References
1 2023 Global Innovative Markets Forecast
2 Straits Research
3 Precedence Research, “Personalized Medicine Market Size to Reach US $5.7 Trillion by 2030,” January 25, 2022.
4 https://www.medgadget.com/2019/09/total-ankle-replacement-market-2019-overview-industry-opportunities-and-outlook-to-2026.html
In fact, the global 3D printing of medical devices is a rapidly growing market, with estimated global sales of $2.45 billion in 2023 alone according to a Global Innovative Markets Forecast (USD).1 The pace of adoption is expected to drive the global sales number toward $9.8 billion by 2031, reflective of a CAGR of 16.1%.2
To fuel adoption of 3D printing technologies and to expand applications to increasingly complex cases, 3D Systems continues to evolve its comprehensive portfolio of 3D printers, software, consultative services, and FDA-approved workflows.
Leveraging AM Breakthroughs to Move Past Outdated Care Models
While every patient is unique and the circumstances of their injuries and ailments are different, clinicians have previously had limited choices when it came to implants and instruments. However, 3D Systems is partnering with manufacturers to integrate AM to create patient-specific solutions that are delivered as a full-service package, including end-to-end preoperative planning workflows.A Strong Link Between Personalized Devices and Outcomes
For the past two decades, the medical device industry has experienced widespread change as a result of personalization. As patient-specific care increases, patients and clinicians are seeing steady and measurable improvements in healthcare outcomes. Whether it’s personalized implants and instruments or patient-specific surgical plans, technology is amplifying the skills of the surgeon and improving post-operative quality of life for patients.Advances in 3D Printing Offer a New Way Forward
Growth projections for the patient-specific care market are strong. Precedence Research, for example, valued the global personalized medicine market at $2.12 trillion in 2021 and expects it to reach more than $5.7 trillion by 2030.3 A primary growth driver is rapid innovation in medical and surgical technologies.Recent advances in AM materials, software, and workflows are empowering manufacturers and surgeons in important new ways:
- Increases in speed and the precision of 3D printing make it economically viable for a broader range of applications.
- Innovations in materials and printing technologies are enabling production of lighter and more durable devices.
- Efficient design-to-delivery workflows enable the production of personalized solutions in less time and more cost-effectively.
Additionally, patient-specific innovations—including planning visualizations, implants, and surgical guides—are helping surgeons tailor treatment based on individual patient needs, preferences, and characteristics across all stages of care. Together, these advancements enable manufacturers to expand their portfolios and enable healthcare professionals to more seamlessly provide highly personalized and individualized care to patients.
Vantage® Ankle PSI: An Example of a Changing Model
3D Systems and Exactech pioneered an innovation in 3D-printed medical devices, developing the Vantage Ankle PSI. Orthopaedic surgery has been exploring the benefits of patient-specific instrumentation for some time now, but solutions like the Vantage Ankle PSI are making these cases more practical and efficient.
The need: Total ankle arthroplasty is a surgical procedure that replaces the entire ankle apparatus with prosthetic parts. It can be an extremely effective treatment for arthritis. It’s also a very popular form of arthroplasty with an 8.4% compound annual growth rate. The year 2026 will see it bring an expected $327 million in revenue.4 Using VSP® surgical planning, our team along with Exactech saw a unique opportunity to bring personalization to these procedures through the collaborative development of patient-specific cutting guides.
The solution: Based on medical imaging data from the patient, Vantage produces nylon osteotomy guides that are biocompatible, sterilizable, and completely patient-specific.
The results: For the patient, the result is a better healing outcome and recovery process, leading to a higher quality of life that could be lifechanging. For the surgeon, a personalized surgical plan, implants, and guides can mean less time in the operating room and patient-specific devices have been shown to improve outcomes.
This is just one example of 3D-printing rising to suit the unique characteristics of all parties involved in orthopaedic surgery. Imagine if you could get personalized tailoring at the same level of availability and for the same price as an off-the-rack suit. In fact, let’s stretch the metaphor to make it even more appropriate: imagine that somehow your whole ability to walk and get around depended on having a good suit. This is the kind of transformation we’re witnessing in orthopaedic surgery, thanks to advances in 3D printing.
A Lesson in Collaboration
While none of these advances are possible with 3D printing alone, personalized healthcare solutions—like the example of Vantage Ankle PSI—require the high degree of flexibility that AM makes possible.More importantly, this kind of precision medicine would not have been possible without collaboration. AM manufacturers, like 3D Systems, are working closely with device manufacturers and healthcare professionals to create solutions that perform better for both surgeons and patients. Cross-organizational teams are integrating their AM and device expertise, building smart new workflows and applying regulatory understanding that has been refined through years of clinical experience.
As collaborations like these continue to revolutionize patient care, we can expect innovations like Vantage Ankle PSI to see new popularity over off-the-shelf medical implants. Medicine has always been personal; now, because of AM, it’s becoming personalized.
References
1 2023 Global Innovative Markets Forecast
2 Straits Research
3 Precedence Research, “Personalized Medicine Market Size to Reach US $5.7 Trillion by 2030,” January 25, 2022.
4 https://www.medgadget.com/2019/09/total-ankle-replacement-market-2019-overview-industry-opportunities-and-outlook-to-2026.html