3D

Oct 07, 2023

After four years of research by the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, and Mobius 3D Technology (M3DT), Velsen-Noord, Netherlands, a 3D-printed titanium lower jaw was implanted for the first time in a head and neck cancer patient. The jaw was completely reconstructed based on the patient's MRI and CT scans.

Tumors in and around the lower jaw often are treated by removing part of the jawbone and reconstructing it, if possible, with bone from elsewhere in the body. The disadvantage of these reconstruction methods is that they are very complex medical procedures taking place at two sites in the body.

If metal plates are used in reconstruction, they break or extrude through mucosa or skin in about 40 per cent of the cases and the screws with which the plate is attached can come loose. Now, 3D-printed jawbones can fit exactly as needed, have the shape and weight of the original jawbone, and are much stronger than the currently used plates.

The implant is much stronger, partly because the forces are optimally distributed with an improved fastening technique. The 3D-printed implant also has a mesh structure on the inside. In this way, the implant retains its strength, while the prosthesis still feels light to the patient. The implant can no longer break, and the orientation of the screws helps ensure that the implant stays in place. Because the implant is custom-made, the jaw retains its fit and pressure on the overlying mucosa or skin is distributed more evenly.

The 3D lab and head and neck surgeons of the Netherlands Cancer Institute worked for years on this innovation together with M3DT. This application is expected to be more widely applicable in 2023/2024.