Oliver Tannous, MD, of MedStar Washington Hospital Center, became the first to use a 3D-printed replica of a patient's spine to assist in surgery, WTOP reported April 11.
The MySpine Cervical 3D technology from Medacta provides a 3D-printed model of the spine based on CT scans and helps surgeons understand patient anatomy and provide a drill guide.
The technology has been available for lower back cases and was recently approved for upper spine surgeries. Having the 3D-printed guide helps improve precision and decrease the length of procedures by about 25%, Dr. Tannois said in the report.