Laser-Sintering for Orthopedics

Geometry in the OR…EOS is thrilled that it had a chance to showcase its EOSINT M 280 direct metal laser-sintering (DMLS) system at the recent American Academy of Orthpaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting. According to the company, there is no shortage of orthopedic applications for this technology.

“An entire new world of orthopedic treatment and procedures has opened up,” said Martin Bullemer, EOS manager for medical business development, in the February 3, 2012 news release. “Because our laser-sintering systems can cost-effectively manufacture any imaginable geometry, and any variation on it, they are changing the way we think about medical products.”

As indicated by EOS, laser sintering is an additive manufacturing process involving next-to-no tooling, molding or machining costs. As a result, devices can be economically mass-customized to conform to the requirements of individual doctors or patients. Orthopedic suppliers use DMLS and plastics laser sintering to create a diverse array of drill guides, clamps, implants, and surgical instruments.

Bullemer told OTW,

"The primary applications of laser-sintering in orthopedics are patient-matched applications such as surgical drill and cutting guides or platforms for cranial implants. Customers are also exploring complex lattice structures—unachievable through conventional manufacturing methods—for promoting osteointegration. As always in orthopedics, no matter how the product is made, the challenge for adoption is in the effort by the individual manufacturer in undertaking the certification process".