Prof Cemil ERTÜRK the Orthopedics and Traumatology Clnical and Educational Supervisor at Patient with a gap in the hip bone regained her health with an artificial hip implant produced using 3D printers at the University of Health Sciences’ own facilities.
Health Sciences University, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research hospital and his team, performed a surgery in which the patient Zühal AYDIN regained her health with the artificial hip implant produced by 3D printers. Dr.ERTÜRK spoke regarding the surgery as. “ The patient’s socket part of the hip called the Acetebulum had significant bone loss and was worn due to previous surgeries in other hospitals, leading to severe calcification of the hip bone. As a result of these the internal implant of the socket bone had been broken; causing our patient to be wheelchair dependent for 4 years. On the other hand, due to the complex anatomy of the Acetabulum, the previous surgeries were unsuccessful because the fabricated implants currently available in the market did not exactly fit AYDIN’s hip. For this reason, personalized orthopedic implants which have only become available in technologically advanced countries (Such as Germany, England and the United States of American) in the recent years are produced by 3D printers. These printers use the patient’s X-ray and Computerized Tomography images to create an implant that exactly fits the patient’s current bone structure, making the chances of a successful surgery much higher.
In order to fill the gap in the hip bone of our patient, a personalized implant was produced using a 3D printer at the facilities of Health Sciences University in Ankara, Gülhane Medical Design and Production Center (METÜM) and was successfully implanted by a surgery performed in Istanbul, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic.
With many more personalized implants being produced at the METÜM unite located in Gülhane using 3D computer printers; these implants have been shown to be more compatible with the patient’s bone structure in comparison with the ready-made implants available in the market. Making the operations much easier and successful. Dr. ERTÜRK states “ We are very happy that our patient is now able to walk and we are very lucky to be able to performed such surgeries in our country with the help of such advanced technological facilities.”