Medacta USA announced that two US surgeons have completed the first ever spinal reconstruction using 3D printing. Spinal surgery got a boost from 3D medical printing thus giving hopes to many patients suffering from spinal diseases.

Dr. Samuel S. Jorgenson and Dr. Richard Manos from the Spine Institute of Idaho were the first surgeons to use the technology dubbed as the MySpine Patient Matched Technology. The spinal cord is an important part of the central nervous system next to the brain. It sends messages from the brain to the nerves that are connected to different parts of the bodies.

The MySpine 3d printing customizes the placement guides thus allowing the surgeons to understand the complexities involving each of their patient’s spinal anatomy. This means that the process during the operation becomes more precise and accurate. This 3D medical printing technology cuts down the time of the procedure.

The MySpine technology is customized for each of the patient. The screws are 3D fabricated and are used to position them on to the spine. Aside from 3D fabricating the screws, the 3D medical printing can also guide doctors when it comes to surgical planning software which assists the surgeons when it comes to the placement of the screws depending on the unique anatomy of each patient.

3D medical printing has proven to be a very crucial technology not only in manufacturing biocompatible body parts but it can also be used to improve surgical operations including the ever so delicate spinal surgery. With its success, the MySpine technology was recently acknowledged as the Best New Technology for Spinal Care in 2014.