3D Printing powerhouse Stratasys Direct Manufacturing has collaborated with DanaMed to develop a potentially life-changing tool to revolutionize the long and unenviable process of ACL reconstruction.
DanaMed Inc.’s 3D Printed Pathfinder has been described by BusinessWire as the “medical breakthrough high-performance athletes have been waiting for.” The Pathfinder is a biocompatible device that will enable surgeons to better reconstruct partially or fully torn anterior cruciate ligaments in the knee.
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The engineer behind the invention, Dana Piasecki, says that the device was designed to address the shortcomings of traditional ACL surgery, which, in some cases has been known to have disastrous effects on an athlete’s career.
The problem has been that once the graft from the ligament has been removed, repaired and then reinserted, the strength and flexibility will never be the same, and therefore increase the likelihood of re-injury. This process is normally carried out through the use of a drill that can cause extra stress on the ACL and its surrounding parts, as the drill does not fit the contours of the ligament or the bones. The pathfinder was designed to fit the exact contours of the grafts and thus will be able to reach the ACL without having a dangerous effect on the knee as a whole.
The reason behind manufacturing the device through Stratasys was simply due to an attention to detail that could not be matched elsewhere and an unbeatable price.
“Pathfinder illustrates how 3D printing is uniquely capable of enabling breakthroughs in medical technology that otherwise would not be possible,” said John Self, project engineer at Stratasys Direct Manufacturing.
“And by offering DanaMed 97 percent cost savings over conventional manufacturing methods, 3D printing has demonstrated its business value in bringing complex, high-quality parts to market.”
The problem that ACL recovery has always faced is that it has never been able to return to its natural ability. So far, the Pathfinder has seen a 95 percent success rate when it comes to anchoring the grafts from the knee, and allows the repaired ACL to return to its original state.
The device is an exciting piece in the puzzle for finding ways to combat ACL injury. Being one of the most common and devastating lower body injuries in sport, it was important to find a way to decrease the risk of recurrence. It has also been made clear that without the mind-blowing innovation of 3D printing technology this device may not have been successful.