The beneficial application of preoperative 3D printing for surgical stabilization of rib fractures

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 10; p. e0204652
• Main Authors: Chen, Ying-Yi, Lin, Kuan-Hsun, Huang, Hsu-Kai, Chang, Hung, Lee, Shih-Chun, Huang, Tsai-Wang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 04.10.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: 3-D printers; 3D printing; Biology and Life Sciences; Bone Plates; Care and treatment; Clinical outcomes; Engineering and technology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fracture Fixation, Internal - methods; Fractures; Fractures (Injuries); Hospitals; Humans; Injuries; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Patients; Physical Sciences; Printing; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Retrospective Studies; Rib cage; Rib Fractures - surgery; Ribs; Stabilization; Statistical analysis; Studies; Surgery; Surgical outcomes; Thoracic surgery; Three dimensional printing; Titanium; Trauma; Treatment Outcome; China
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204652
• ISSN: 1932-6203

The beneficial application of three-dimensional (3D) printing for surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) has never been proposed in the literature before. The aim of this study was to verify patients' surgical outcomes when utilizing preoperative three-dimensional printing for SSRF. We retrospectively reviewed the records of all consecutive patients who were treated at our hospital for SSRF from July 2015 to December 2017. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not 3D printing was utilized. Forty-eight patients who underwent SSRF at our hospital were enrolled. Of them, three patients underwent bilateral surgeries. The patients with application of preoperative 3D printing for SSRF had statistically significant associations with shorter operation time per fixed plate (p < 0.001), and a smaller incision length (p < 0.001). We present an useful technique involving 3D printing for promoting SSRF significantly with shorter operation time and an appropriate incision length.