KOCHI: A 21-year-old man from Oachira in Kollam has become the first person in the state to undergo a complex spine surgery using 3D printing technology. The patient, a BCom student, was suffering from spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda, a rare genetic disease that affects approximately a person per 2 lakh population. The pioneering surgery was performed by a medical team headed by Dr Krishnakumar, consultant and head of Spine Surgery division at VPS Lakeshore Hospital. “Due to his genetic condition, the patient had abnormal spinal bone growth and structure leading to incomplete formation of peg-like bone in the second cervical vertebral bone, which corresponds to the upper part of the neck,” said Dr Krishnakumar.
“This condition caused dislocation of the neck bones (atlanto axial instability) causing spinal cord compression and difficulty in walking. The complex abnormal shapes of the bones and blood vessels of the upper spine warranted a 3-D printed spine model for planning the complex surgery,” he said.
Using the patient’s CT-scan and a special software, an exact replica of his spine with blood vessels was made using 3-D printing technology, which took around 32 hours for printing.
The Atlanto Axial Instability was reduced and fixed by C1-C2 transarticular screws. “The 3D printing technology will greatly benefit in understanding complex abnormal anatomy and surgical planning resulting in better patient care,” Krishnakumar said.