3D打印是20世纪80年代出现的重要技术。从第一台3D打印机的出现至今已经30余年,在此期间3D打印技术发展迅速,其应用范围也得到了极大的拓展。3D打印技术最为突出的特点是打印的“个性化”和“打印墨水”的多样化。“个性化”使得该技术可以为每例患者“量身定做”生物材料,“打印墨水”的多样化使得该技术可以广泛服务于不同的临床需求。3D打印的技术原理大体上分为四个方面:①打印物图像信息的搜集及数据化;②图像数据信息的处理和转化;③利用数据信息进行3D打印;④打印物的后期处理和性能评估。目前最常见的与骨科相关的成型方法包括:①光固化成型;②选择性激光烧结;③熔融沉积成型;④分层实体制造;⑤金属直接熔融技术或电子束熔融;⑥喷墨打印技术。供3D打印机使用的材料逐渐增多,包括胶原、壳聚糖等天然医用材料,聚乳酸、聚乙醇酸、聚醚醚酮等人工合成高分子材料,羟基磷灰石等生物活性陶瓷材料,钛合金等医用金属材料等。3D打印在骨科方面的应用主要有以下七个方面:①术前规划,如术前病变模型的打印制作;②制作手术导航模板,辅助手术的精准进行;③定制个性化假体与内植物;④定制外固定支具;⑤新型手术器械的开发,满足特殊疾病和患者的需求;⑥组织工程支架,有利于再生医学的个性化应用;⑦药物研发、释放和剂型的研究。
3D printing is an important technology occurs in 1980s, which has been about more than 30 years since the first 3D printing machine was developed. Currently, it develops rapidly and its application scope has been greatly expanded. Its most prominent features are the "personalized" printing and the diversification of "printing ink". The "personalized" printing can make it possible to tailor the biological materials for each patient, and the diversity of "printing ink" can make the technology meeting different clinical needs. 3D printing can be divided into four aspects: 1) the collection and formation of image of printing object; 2) the treatment and the transformation of the image information; 3) printing based on the data formatted; 4) the post-treatment and performance evaluating of the printing object. At present, the common methods related to orthopaedics include: 1) stereolithog- raphy appearance; 2) selective laser sintering; 3) fused deposition modeling; 4) laminated object manufacturing; 5) the direct metal melting technology (selective laser mehing or electron beam melting); 6) the ink jet printing technology. A variety of materials have been used in 3D printers, including the natural medical materials like collagen and chitosan, the synthetic polymers like polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid and peek, the bioactive ceramic materials like hydroxyapatite, the medical metal materials like titanium. The 3D printed material are mainly used in the following seven aspects in orthopaedics: 1) the preoperative planning, such as the printing of the lesion and resection model; 2) operation navigation make the surgery procedure more accurate; 3) making the customized prosthesis and implant; 4) implanting the external fixation; 5) the development of new surgical instruments meets the special needs of patients; 6) making the personalized tissue engineering scaffold used in regenerative medicine; 7) the development of drug and its release study.