![]() While there were singular mentions of 3DP technology in PubMed prior to the year 2000, the subsequent two decades have shown exponential growth in the number of publications ( Figure 1), a trend suggestive of a disruptive potential of 3DP technology.Įxamples of multi-part models. ![]() This shift, in turn, led to the exploration of various medical implementations. This enabled the development of affordable desktop 3D printers, which further democratized 3DP technology and made it more accessible to the public. However, a major breakthrough in the broad-scale implementation of this technology happed after 2010, following the expiration of many relevant patents. Various manufacturing methods have been developed, such as fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), to name a few. ![]() In fact, the first patents and prototypes in this field date back to the 1970s, with early additive manufacturing equipment and materials following in the subsequent decade. Three-dimensional printing (3D printing, 3DP), also known as rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing, is not new in the tech industry. It was evident that pre-procedural planning and rehearsing of unusual or difficult procedures and training of medical professionals in these procedures are extremely useful and transformative. Numerous advantages and applications were found, such as gaining better insight into patient-specific anatomy, better pre-operative planning, mock simulated surgeries, simulation-based training and education, development of surgical guides and other tools, patient-specific implants, bioprinted organs or structures, and counseling of patients. A review of the latest multidisciplinary literature on the subject offers a general summary of the advances enabled by 3D printing. The current state-of-the-art, as well as real-life clinical applications of 3D printing, are reflected in the perspectives of specialists practicing in the selected disciplines, with a focus on pre-procedural planning, simulation (rehearsal) of non-routine procedures, and on medical education and training. The following review attempts to showcase how 3D printing has begun to reshape and improve processes across various medical specialties and where it has the potential to make a significant impact. This constant evolution results in the introduction of new tools and methods, which in turn occasionally leads to paradigm shifts across the affected medical fields. Medicine is a rapidly-evolving discipline, with progress picking up pace with each passing decade.
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