Jul 13, 2024 At our recent 3DHEALS SF hybrid event earlier this year, four experts shared software and hardware technologies that will advance the forefront of care for orthopedics patients. Featuring a 3D-printed screw for spinal fusions, AI-powered device design software, innovative ceramic materials, and porous titanium implants, here is a recap of our event.
Reimagining the pedicle screw for improved spinal fusions
For Alyssa Huffman, inventor, founder, and CEO of Allumin8, developing the company’s 3D-printed screw for spinal fusions was motivated by the critical need to reduce issues following surgery.
Screws inserted into the lumbar vertebrae to achieve spine stabilization can loosen after the procedure, forcing patients to return for expensive revision surgeries. Huffman also described how the problem is compounded by the poor quality of lumbar bone compared to other bones in the body, making screw stability challenging.
In response, Huffman’s first product for Allumin8 is a 3D-printed pedicle screw called A8 Integr8, which can easily fit within the existing clinical workflow while improving care. The titanium screw, containing pores in the trabecular pattern of bone, is capable of aspirating and re-injecting bone marrow using an attached syringe and proprietary luer lock.
Huffman’s device not only provides the functions of a pedicle screw but also the opportunity to deliver therapeutics to the patient. For patients with osteoporosis, stem cells can be drawn into the screw, leading to an improvement in bone mineral density that stabilizes the screw’s position. In diabetic patients, surgeons can inject calcium sulfate incorporated with antibiotics, protecting the device from infection. The company is also looking for partners developing oncological drugs, which may one day be released through this innovative piece of hardware.
Robust and time-saving AI for orthopedics
On the software side, Kerim Genc, Product Manager for the Simpleware Group at Synopsys, talked about the company’s product, which converts medical images into 3D models, an effective tool for surgical planning, point-of-care 3D printing, and in silico clinical trials.
Simpleware’s AI-enabled software is capable of automatic segmentation and landmarking of ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, and craniomaxillofacial CT and knee MRI scans.
A mounting challenge for the AI industry is out-of-distribution effects, or failure cases that arise when patient statistics differ from those used during training. Genc talked about how the company successfully rose to this challenge when it improved its original AI model for Corin, an orthopedics device company, by retraining and reducing the time per case by 80% to 94% for automated segmentation and landmarking of total hip replacement planning.
Key to their success was the close collaboration and adaptability of the company with Corin during the process, allowing the Simpleware product to evolve with their customer’s growing needs.
An exciting application of this software is its use for in silico clinical trials. Genc said that they can combine their imaging to 3D modeling software with the physics-based simulation capabilities of the company Ansys to simulate mechanical loading within the hip joint. Such in silico trials can decrease time and monetary costs.
Calcium phosphate for abrasives and now for ceramics 3D printing
On the materials side, Craig Rosenblum, President of Himed, emphasized careful consideration of the materials used when manufacturing 3D-printed orthopedic implants.
For example, 3D-printed acetabular cups used in hip replacements can be grit-blasted with aluminum oxide to remove loosely adherent beads that could otherwise fall off the implant within the patient. However, Rosenblum noted that, while used by many in the industry, this abrasion process leaves behind bio-incompatible aluminum oxide on the surface, which can inhibit bone growth.
As a solution, he showed us the company’s MCD Apatitic Abrasive, a hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate blend that effectively removes the loose beads while itself being removable using passivation. With this change in post-processing technique, clinicians and patients can now have greater confidence in the efficacy of these implants.
The company is continuing to grow the opportunities provided by these materials in their partnership with Lithoz, a company that produces lithography-based ceramic 3D printers. Himed is utilizing their expertise in producing high quality calcium phosphate to create bioinks for Lithoz printers. Designers can then print implants with the desired resorbable properties of calcium phosphate, allowing native bone cells to grow and replace the implant over time.
Recently, the companies formed the Bioceramics Center of Excellence, a research lab offering startups and other teams the chance to prototype new medical devices using Himed’s biomaterial analysis and Lithoz’s printers.
Porous titanium implants for hip and knee
To gain insight into manufacturing a variety of orthopedic implants, we turn to Dean Hughes, Regional Technical Director at Smith and Nephew Orthopedics, who talked about the company’s CONCELOC method, which creates randomized porous structures out of titanium to mimic cancellous bone and allow for bone ingrowth.
Hughes described how the company saw the opportunities in 3D printing to generate complex geometries twelve years ago and began developing porous implants. Since then, they have used CONCELOC to 3D print acetabular cups, tibial baseplates, patellas, and other products.
One challenge that the company overcame was the need for a strong enough structure that would pass testing. The fast turnaround time of 3D printing enabled them to revise their design and also allowed them to create anti-rotation press fits for their tibial baseplates that would not be possible with machining.
Join us for our August 1st Orthopedic Implants Event
With exciting developments in new orthopedic implants and printing methods to AI that assists in the design of devices, our speakers have shown us the advantages that 3D printing and modeling offers in raising the bar for orthopedic care. To get the latest developments in 3D printing for orthopedic implants, join our upcoming event on August 1st featuring orthopedics researchers, clinicians, and industry experts by registering today and subscribing for updates.
About the Author:
Peter Hsu
Peter Hsu is an editorial intern for 3DHEALS. He is currently an undergraduate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and studies bioengineering with a focus on cell and tissue engineering. He is also minoring in computer science with interests in artificial intelligence and image processing. Peter conducts research on using computer vision methods to analyze human tissue images and improving the robustness of machine learning workflows. He is interested in the use of AI to assist tissue engineering and bioprinting research for medical applications. He is passionate about science communication and leads STEM outreach lessons at schools in the central Illinois area.
Related Links:
Event Recap: Innovation in Melt-Electrowriting (MEW) & 3D Printing
Event Recap: In Silico Simulation for Medtech and Biopharma
3D Bioprinting Biofabrication for Musculoskeletal Tissues (On Demand, 2024)
San Francisco: 3D Printing and AI in Orthopedics (On Demand, 2024)
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