5-year-old Daria loves dancing, but that was imperiled when she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare malignant bone tumor, in her right leg. The tumor was large, extending almost to her distal femur, so removing it while still allowing her to walk – and dance – normally was a special challenge. Careful planning was required, but thankfully, Daria’s doctors had the tools to do just that.
Dr. A.H. Krieg and colleagues at the University Children’s Hospital in Basel, Switzerland had to remove the tumor and reconstruct Daria’s femur using a combination of her own live fibula and a donor bone.
Materialise has worked with surgeons to plan for more than 2,000 osteotomy cases, or corrective surgery where a bone is cut to allow realignment. The company has also designed and 3D printed more than 700 custom implants or endoprostheses.
Source: 3DPRINT.COM
To find out more, click https://3dprint.com/232939/3d-printing-helps-a-five-year-old-girl-to-dance-again/