Each year, there are approximately 6.8 million bones broken in the U.S. And while the traditional treatment method has always been to put the limb in a cast and simply wait for the injury to heal, a new treatment option could quickly find its way into the industry of modern medicine.
3D printing is becoming more highly developed, which is enabling it to be used in a wide variety of industries. ThereDePuy Synthes Products, Inc., subsidiary of pharmaceutical corporation Johnson and Johnson, is trying to implement 3D printing technology to heal broken bones.
Johnson and Johnson’s bone-health unit has been improving 3D printing technology from Tissue Regeneration Systems, Inc. Now, the technology can make specialized bone-like parts that can be easily implanted into the body to replace a broken bone.
Many people underestimate the personal and financial damages that injuries like broken bones can cost, especially in the workplace. Slip, trip, and fall injuries, which commonly cause broken bones, account for about 25% of all reported injury claims per fiscal year, and they almost always result in missing a substantial amount of work due to recovery. Not only that, but this technology can also be incredibly beneficial to the elderly generation. The average total medical expenses for a 65-year-old couple will be $218,000 over a 20-year period. Using 3D technologies can drastically cut back on ever-increasing healthcare costs if these services become readily available. If these technologies can become more widespread, however, the old method of using clunky, uncomfortable casts to heal bone injuries will be a thing of the past.
“We are systematically investing in building a pipeline of 3D printed products,” said DePuy company group chairman Ciro Romer in a statement. “The TRS technology, which will be added to the DePuy Synthes Trauma Platform, is the latest example of how we are working toward developing next-generation technologies that transform healthcare delivery with individualized solutions for patients.”
One of the most interesting aspects of this technology is that unlike previous treatment methods, which usually had a method of “one size fits all,” 3D technologies are so precise that they can shape materials to fit individual patients, a truly groundbreaking feat. This can be especially useful for injuries to limbs that have a lot of small bones. The foot, for example, has 26 bones, and with the use of 3D technologies, even the smallest bones can be created and implanted with the highest possible level of precision.
Ultimately, Robert G. Urban, Ph.D and Global Head of Johnson and Johnson Innovation, is looking forward to expanding the technology.
“We are excited at the potential this technology holds to help improve patient outcomes.”
