Orthopedist Robert Tait, MD, is changing the way total knee replacement surgery is done at Dignity Health in Henderson, Nev., a story from the Christian Health Academy of the United States reports.
Dr. Tait is using a 3-D printer to make patient-specific implants for total knee replacement candidates.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Dr. Tait is an early adopter of the technology. He explored alternatives to traditional total knee replacement because of a national statistic stating one in five patients were unhappy with the end result of their surgery because of residual pain.
2. The cause of the residual pain is unknown to doctors, but many believe it may relate to implant position or size. Yet, even when the implant is a "perfect" fit, pain still may linger.
3. Dr. Tait learned of ConforMIS, a manufacturer based in Massachusetts, that was using 3-D printing to create custom knee joints, and cutting blocks sized for individual patients. The blocks allow surgeons to cut away damaged or diseased bone while minimizing the loss of healthy bone. He began using the 3-D printed knees exclusively by 2014.
4. "I did a head-to-head study, and the results are so much better, I feel ethically obligated to do them," Dr. Tait said. " … Anecdotally, all our patients are showing their recovery is quicker and smoother. It's up to 50 percent who don't have to do outpatient physical therapy at all."
5. According to a 2014 study in Pharmacy and Therapeutics, medical use accounted for less than 2 percent of all 3-D printing applications. That number is expected to rise to more than 20 percent in the next decade.
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