3D Printing in Medicine
As we begin 2025, numerous innovations are taking medicine to new heights. Advances in telehealth are growing, AI is making interventions easier and more precise, and personalization in medical plans is keeping society healthier for longer. But what if you could walk up to a machine, type in preferences, and have a medical device print over time right before your eyes? Well, good for you, medical technology is headed that way.
What is medical 3D printing? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), medical 3D printers are equipment that manufacture various medical devices with complex geometry or features matching a patient’s individualized anatomy. Some devices are printed from a standard design to make multiple identical copies of the same device. Other devices, called patient-matched or patient-specific devices, are created from a specific patient’s imaging data.
3D printing is revolutionizing medicine. The uses extend from producing personalized prosthetics to crafting intricate organ models for surgical preparation. Among its most practical applications is the production of implants tailored specifically to individual patients. By utilizing 3D printing technology, healthcare providers can create implants that fit a patient’s unique anatomy, which helps improve compatibility and shorten recovery periods. This level of precision is important for enhancing surgical results and boosting patient satisfaction.
Commercially available FDA-recognized 3D-printed medical devices include:
• Instrumentation (surgical device placement assistance)
• Implants (hips, knee joints)
• External prostheses (hands)
Scientists are in the early stages of researching how to use the 3D printing process to manufacture living organs such as hearts and livers. Uses also include 3D-printed organ models that allow surgeons to review complex procedures before performing them on patients. This preparation boosts surgical accuracy, minimizes risks, and enhances patient safety. These developments emphasize the transformative potential of 3D printing in the medical field.
The FDA oversees 3D-printed medical devices using the same processes applied to conventional medical devices. Consequently, these items are assessed based on the safety and effectiveness data provided by the manufacturer. While federal law exempts custom medical devices from FDA review, it’s important to note that patient-specific devices do not automatically fulfill all the necessary criteria.