Surgeons have transplanted a 3D-printed sternum into a six-year-old boy at Shanghai Children’s Medical Centre in China. The boy was suffering from one of the rarest congenital malformations in the world. The 3D printed sternum shell was 3D printed from a biocompatible PEEK material and was designed specifically for Abu’s anatomy. The sternum shell was printed from a biocompatible PEEK material, which doctors said was suitable for the procedure and for follow-up treatments as it did not adhere to other organs. A team led by Dr Li Xiaojun, director of pediatric surgery at the hospital, implanted the new organ on June 6.
Surgeons have transplanted a 3D-printed sternum into a six-year-old boy at Shanghai Children’s Medical Centre in China. The boy was suffering from one of the rarest congenital malformations in the world. The sternum shell was printed from a biocompatible PEEK material, which doctors said was suitable for the procedure and for follow-up treatments as it did not adhere to other organs. A team led by Dr Li Xiaojun, director of pediatric surgery at the hospital, implanted the new organ on June 6.