Recent advances of 3D-printing in spine surgery

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background The emerging use of three-dimensional printing (3DP) offers improved surgical planning and personalized care. The use of 3DP technology in spinal surgery has several common applications, including models for preoperative planning, biomodels, surgical guides, implants, and teaching tools. Methods A literature review was conducted to examine the current use of 3DP technology in spinal surgery and identify the challenges and limitations associated with its adoption. Results The review reveals that while 3DP technology offers the benefits of enhanced stability, improved surgical outcomes, and the feasibility of patient-specific solutions in spinal surgeries, several challenges remain significant impediments to widespread adoption. The obvious expected limitation is the high cost associated with implementing and maintaining a 3DP facility and creating customized patient-specific implants. Technological limitations, including the variability between medical imaging and en vivo surgical anatomy, along with the reproduction of intricate high-fidelity anatomical detail, pose additional challenges. Finally, the lack of comprehensive clinical monitoring, inadequate sample sizes, and high-quality scientific evidence all limit our understanding of the full scope of 3DP's utility in spinal surgery and preclude widespread adoption and implementation. Conclusion Despite the obvious

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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