Five use cases that show the life-changing impact of medical 3D printing

This month, our AM Focus is shining a light on the medical sector, where additive manufacturing technologies have not only been broadly adopted but have gained notable mainstream attention (admittedly in sometimes over-hyped ways). To kick off this AM Focus, we want to highlight a series of recent applications and use cases that showcase the very real impact that 3D printing is having on healthcare, whether its a patient receiving improved cancer treatment or a particularly complex procedure being executed successfully thanks to enhanced surgical planning. Let’s take a look.

Researchers achieve milestone with titanium wrist implant

In a story we covered just a couple of weeks ago, a team from the Guangxi Medical University Hospital in China developed a new technique for treating distal radial giant cell tumors (GCTs). These tumors are considered benign but are an invasive form of bone tumor that typically occur in the wrist (distal radial) or above the knee (distal femur). The new treatment approach involves the use of a 3D printed titanium prosthesis with mesh patches, which are designed to enhance stability through the treatment and recover process.

The approach was deemed viable after a three-year trial in which five patients were implanted with the 3D printed prostheses. After several follow-ups, the 3D printed wrist implant showed positive outcomes across various criteria, including postoperative pain, range of motion, grip strength, oncological outcomes, complications, and degenerative changes in the wrist joint. “This strategy provides favorable functional outcomes during the early to mid stages of treatment, while also maintaining a low risk of complications,” said the team in a study.

Treating rare inner ear disorder with micro 3D printing

More and more we are seeing 3D printing being used as a tool to solve complex medical challenges. This is the case in Saudi Arabia, where the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) recently developed a novel method for treating rare inner ear disorders that can cause symptoms like vertigo, imbalance and poor hearing. The team at the medical research center’s Department of Otolaryngology used digital modeling and ultra-micro 3D printing to effectively reconstruct the inner ear structure.

In short, the treatment involves digitally redesigning the affected portion of the inner ear, from there, a thin silicone layer that matches the patient’s inner ear anatomy can be 3D printed and then implanted. This approach, which not does influence the surrounding tissue or disturb the flow of inner ear fluid, has already been tested clinically with success. According to the researchers, the 3D printed inner ear implant helped a patient who had been suffering from severe vertigo for over two years caused by an abnormal opening in the ear’s superior semicircular canal. As a result of the procedure, the patient’s balance was completely restored.

3D printed devices improve cervical cancer treatment

In another case of doctors turning to 3D printing to solve an issue, a small team of medical professionals based out of British Columbia, Canada has started 3D printing custom applicators to improve targeted radiation therapies for gynaecological tumors. The approach, developed by Dr. Deidre Batchelar and her team, has already been been put to use in over 30 cases.

The innovation was driven by frustration on behalf of the doctors, who struggled to deliver brachytherapy to certain cervical cancer patients using standardized applicators. Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation that is directly delivered to tumors allowing for a higher dose of radiation to be used without compromising healthy cells. By customizing and 3D printing applicators based on MRI imaging and using a medical-grade SLA system from Formlabs, the doctors found that they could more precisely target tumors and achieve better patient outcomes. The custom devices have also made the treatment less invasive by reducing the number of needles needed.

Patient-specific models support head and neck cancer surgeries

At Ohio State University 3D printing is also playing a role in improving cancer treatments. There, a team has been leveraging the technology to make patient-specific 3D models that facilitate surgical planning for complex head and neck tumor removal. According to the team, their approach has enabled the total removal of tumors in 92% of head and neck cancers that have invaded the bone.

With patient-specific models to help surgeons prepare for a procedure and guide them in the process, tumor removal has achieved a higher level of precision. In a study, the outcomes of 68 bone-invading head and neck cancer patient were compared. 37 of the patients had undergone the surgery with patient-specific 3D models, while 31 underwent standard surgery without 3D guidance. The results showed that the cases in which the 3D models were used achieved higher rates of negative surgical margins. In other words, no cancer was detected in the surrounding tissue.

“This model is especially critical in cancers that have invaded bone, because tumor boundaries are often less visible or palpable,” said Kyle VanKoevering, MD, an otolaryngologist at the OSUCCC. “Our 3D models are built based on the patient’s actual tumor imaging, so it gives us a much better visual map at the patient’s bedside for removing the cancer as completely as possible while also sparing important structures and tissue to maintain function after surgery.”

Hundreds of 3D printed devices implanted

While not a specific use case, we’d be remiss not to bring up the fact that 3D printing is enabling the production of innovative implantable devices that are optimized for biocompatibility, fit, and osseointegration through the integration of porous structures that would be impossible to achieve using traditional production methods. You only have to look to a recent announcement from industrial AM service AnyShape for evidence: the company reportedly delivered titanium 3D printed implants for over 200 patients in 2025.

Today, a range of 3D printed orthopedic implants are on the market, including Ankle Fusion Cage Systems, ceramic spinal implants, cervical implants, porous screw systems, and more. We are also continually seeing new innovations in the field. At UC San Diego Health, for instance, a team of surgeons recently achieved a world first when they successfully implanted a customized 3D printed device in an anterior cervical procedure. The device in question was a patient-specific artificial disc designed to replace a damaged spinal disc. Made from medical-grade titanium, the implant has the potential to unlock more precise spinal alignment and faster recovery times as well as lower the risk of surgical complications.