Additive Manufacturing and Topology Optimization in Orthopedic Implants

Abstract

Compared with traditional manufacturing methods, additive manufacturing (AM) has many advantages in the realm of orthopedic implants, including facilitating the creation of anatomically matched devices and surgical instruments by using the patient’s medical image data, manufacturing complex geometric structures, and creating engineered porous structures and internal support structures. The combination of AM with CT or MRI imaging technology has showed great benefits when the patient’s bone geometry is not within the specifications of a standard-size implant, or only when a customized solution can deliver better clinical results for the patient. This paper summarizes the AM technology and its application in orthopedic implants, which will be of broad interest to medical researchers.