Renishaw and University Dental Hospital of Wales (UDH) Collaborate on Custom Surgical Implants

Renishaw has collaborated with the University Dental Hospital of Wales (UDH) to produce custom maxillofacial implants and surgical guides using additive manufacturing (AM). The collaboration is expected to help overcome some of the challenges associated with surgical implants. UDH has previously used Renishaw’s AM services to create a series of dental products, including cobalt chrome frameworks.

Hospitals can reduce surgery time through the use of custom devices because, unlike off-the-shelf implants, each device is designed to fit the patient. Standard implants may need modifications or the patient’s surrounding bone may need extra trimming for the device to fit. 3D-printed custom implants and guides are expected to not only improve patient experience and reduce the risks related to extended time under anesthesia, but also save significant time in surgery and therefore cost, the company says.

“AM allows hospitals to achieve high precision when producing implants,” says Ed Littlewood, marketing manager of Renishaw’s medical and dental products division. “By collaborating with Renishaw, UDH can develop their maxillofacial implants further, seeing improvements with each case and helping a wider range of patients and surgeons across different departments.”

“Several hospitals are reaping the benefits of additive manufacturing in implant production,” says Roger Maggs, senior chief dental technologist and head of dental technology services at UDH. “The staff at UDH are benefiting. The team are involved in every stage of the development of new technologies for medical applications, including inputting CT data and making and manipulating digital models ahead of surgery. This has put us ahead of the game and in a position where we can now start thinking about producing more unique designs that will benefit our surgeons.”