北京大學三醫院成功植入了首例3D打印的脊柱

D-printed implants just got one of their biggest real-world tests to date. Peking University Third Hospital has successfully implanted the first 3D-printed vertebra in a 12-year-old boy with cancer in his spinal cord. The bone substitute is made from titanium powder like many orthopedic implants, but promises to be both safer and longer-lasting than conventional replacements. Since it's designed to mimic the shape of the child's original vertebra, it doesn't need cement or screws to stay in place; healing should go faster, too. The construct is full of small holes that let natural bone grow inside, so it should eventually become a permanent, stable part of the spine that won't need adjustments at some point down the road.

3D打印植入假體最近在真實世界得到了一次重要驗證。北京大學第三醫院成功的在一個身患脊髓癌的12歲男孩身上植入了一個3D打印的脊柱。像許多整形外科所使用的假體一樣，這個替代的骨骼是由鈦金屬粉末製成的。它被設計成模擬兒童本來的脊椎形狀，所以並不需要粘合劑或者釘子來固定位置，病人的恢復過程也相應的會更快一些。假體的構造遍佈着小孔，以便讓人體自身的骨骼生長入它的內部，最終會變成脊椎的永久性的、穩定的一部分，且在未來無需專門的調整。

CCTV notes that the full results of this surgery won't be available for some time. He'll have to wear gear that keeps his head and neck still for the next three months, and it will likely take much longer than that before we know how well the implant holds up in real-world conditions. If everything goes smoothly, though, the surgery will be proof that 3D-printed bones are useful virtually anywhere in the body -- and, in some circumstances, might save your life.

據中國中央電視臺的報道，這個手術的完整結果還有待觀察。接受脊柱植入的男孩必須穿戴特殊的裝置使他的頭和頸部在接下來的三個月保持固定——在我們得知這個假體在實際生活中能否正常工作之前，這個過程有可能會花去更多的時間。但如果一切順利的話，這個手術將會證明3D打印骨骼在身體任何部位都可以得到有效的應用，在某些情況下甚至能拯救你的生命。