New medical 3D-printing facility brings custom implants closer to US patients

Materialise is opening a new 3D printing facility in Plymouth, Michigan, to accelerate the delivery of custom medical implants to U.S. patients. Surgeons increasingly embrace 3D printing solutions as they recognize the added value it brings to personalized patient care, including more predictable and accurate surgical outcomes and time savings during surgery.

The new Materialise 3D-printing facility in Plymouth specializes in patient-specific implants for facial reconstructive surgery. Image: Materialise

At the new facility, Materialise specializes in the 3D printing of personalized titanium cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) implants. CMF implants are used for facial reconstructive surgery. Until now, Materialise manufactured titanium CMF implants solely at its 3D printing facility in Belgium. With a dedicated metal 3D printing facility in the U.S., the company can respond to surgeons’ needs with greater reliability while significantly reducing the delivery time of fully personalized implants to hospitals across the country. This expansion of capabilities complements Materialise’s existing production of 3D-printed surgical guides and anatomical models in the U.S.

The advent of technologies such as 3D printing and advanced visualization techniques has transformed personalized patient care. Patient-specific 3D printed medical solutions include anatomical models for diagnostic purposes and surgical guides and implants to enhance accuracy and efficiency. These solutions are designed to bolster surgeons’ comfort before and during surgery, leading to more predictable and accurate surgical outcomes. As a result, surgeons increasingly adopt 3D printing as part of their medical practices to bring personalized care closer to patients and to reduce overall costs.

Materialise has more than three decades of experience in developing medical solutions and offers a comprehensive range of 3D-printed guides and implants. The company produces 280,000 personalized 3D-printed instruments and implants per year, including 160,000 for the U.S. market. Materialise has pioneered numerous groundbreaking medical 3D printing applications. In 2017, it introduced one of the first personalized CMF implant portfolios in the U.S. In 2021, its innovative 3D planning and 3D printed instruments played a pivotal role in the world’s first simultaneous double hand and face transplant that was successfully performed at NYU Langone Health in Manhattan, New York.

Materialise
materialise.com

Written by

Rachael Pasini

Rachael Pasini is a Senior Editor at Design World (designworldonline.com).