In the past, 3D printers have been used to create artificial organs, automotive pedals and rocket engine injectors. Now a 54-year-old Spanish cancer patient has received a titanium ribcage and sternum created with a 3D printer.
The cancer patient was diagnosed with chest wall sarcoma. The chest wall consists of the spine, sternum and ribs to form a cage around the heart and lungs. The treatment of cancerous tumors that grow in the chest wall varies based on the progression stage. To treat the tumors, options usually include surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, the patient’s surgeons had to remove a part of the skeleton to prevent tumors from spreading. 
Recreating the rib cage with artificial materials is very difficult. The geometric patterns of every individual’s ribs and sternums are unique. According to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), flat titanium plates were used to reinforce the rib cage structure in similar cases. But the plates could loosen and increase complications risks. Fortunately, 3D printers can heavily customize implants for individual patients.
The surgeons at the Salamanca University Hospital in Salamanca, Spain worked with Anatomics, an Australia-based medical technology company to build the customized titanium 3D sternum and rib cage. “The patient’s surgical team at the Salamanca University Hospital thought a fully customized 3D printed implant could replicate the intricate structures of the sternum and ribs, providing a safer option for the patient,” said CSIRO communications manager Adam Knight.

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