United Kingdom - The ground breaking hip and stem cell surgery at Southampton General Hospital was with a 3D printed hip, made from titanium, and designed using the patient's CT scan and CAD/CAM technology – making it designed to the patient's exact specifications and measurements.

The implant will provide a new socket for the ball of the femur bone to enter. Behind the implant and between the pelvis, doctors have inserted a graft containing bone stem cells.

The graft acts as a filler for the loss of bone. The patient's own bone marrow cells have been added to the graft to provide a source of bone stem cells to encourage bone regeneration behind and around the implant.

Southampton doctors believe this is a game changer. Douglas Dunlop, consultant orthopedic surgeon, conducted the operation at Southampton General Hospital. He says: "The benefits to the patient through this pioneering procedure are numerous. The titanium used to make the hip is more durable and has been printed to match the patient's exact measurements – this should improve fit and could recue the risk of having to have another surgery.

"The bone graft material that has been used has excellent biocompatibility and strength and will fill the defect behind the bone well, fusing it all together."

During the past decade, Dunlop and Professor Richard Oreffo, at the University of Southampton, have developed a translational research program to drive bone formation using patient skeletal stem cells in orthopedics.

The graft used in this operation is made up of a bone scaffold that allows blood to flow through it. Stem cells from the bone marrow will attach to the material and grow new bone. This will support the 3D printed hip implant.

Oreffo comments: "The 3D printing of the implant in titanium, from CT scans of the patient and stem cell graft is cutting edge and offers the possibility of improved outcomes for patients.

"Fractures and bone loss due to trauma or disease are a significant clinical and socioeconomic problem. Growing bone at the point of injury alongside a hip implant that has been designed to the exact fit of the patient is exciting and offers real opportunities for improved recovery and quality of life."

For the patient, Meryl Richards, from Hampshire, the procedure means an end to her hip troubles. In 1977, she was involved in a traffic accident and since then has had to have six operations to mend her hip.

She says, "The way medicine has evolved is fantastic. I hope that this will be the last time that I have to have a hip operation. I feel excited to have this pioneering surgery and I can see what a benefit it will have to me."

Source: University of Southampton

When the amphibious assault ship Essex got the fleet’s first 3-D printer last year, crew members were asked to test whether it could manufacture medical supplies aboard ships.

Since then the state-of-the-art printer has been pumping out a lot more than plastic scalpels, as ideas from junior sailors have it making everything from oil caps to screws and deck drain covers.

Click here to read the article by Meghann Myers.

Nashville, Tennessee - Omnis Health has introduced the EmbraceEVO blood glucose monitoring system that is available as an all-in-one starter kit.

EmbraceEVO metre features a compact design with a large display and easy-to-read menu icons.

It can automatically store up to 300 test and control results with date and time, and allows for seven, 14 and 30-day averaging so patients and their healthcare providers can effectively track and control blood glucose levels.

The EmbraceEVO monitoring kit is pre-packaged with metre, 50 test strips, lancets, a lancing device and everything a patient needs to begin testing.

Featuring Omnis Heath's proprietary Instant Three Step Verification test strip technology, the new blood glucose monitoring system provides accurate results in six seconds.

The feature-rich no coding EmbraceEvo metre delivers fast, accurate results using a very small blood sample. The device can test for blood glucose other than the patient's fingertip such as palm and forearm.

Omnis Health president Rob Burton states: "We are proud to be offering this cost-effective system that will benefit distributors, pharmacists and consumers alike.

"The EmbraceEVO meter and test strips are positioned to provide end-users with an affordable cash-pay option that, in many cases, would be less than a co-pay through Medicare or third-party commercial insurance."

Source: Omnis Health

Atlanta, Georgia – Officials at Matrix Surgical USA, a leader in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of craniomaxillofacial implants, announced today that it has received a 510(k) clearance to market its high-density polyethylene customized surgical implants for use in craniofacial reconstruction and augmentation. 

Matrix Surgical USA is currently one of only two companies in the world to have a 510(k) clearance for both off-the-shelf and patient-specific high-density polyethylene craniofacial implants. 

OMNIPORE customized surgical implants are patient-specific devices derived from CT scan data and are indicated for non-weight bearing applications of craniofacial reconstruction/cosmetic surgery and repair of craniofacial trauma. They are also intended for the augmentation or restoration of contour in the craniomaxillofacial skeleton. 

"Customized surgical implants have the ability to greatly reduce operative time and produce a better fit of the device to the specific defect, generating savings to public and private payers and better outcomes for surgeons and their patients," said John O'Shaughnessy, founder and CEO of Matrix Surgical USA. "Following our successful 510(k) clearance for off-the-shelf OMNIPORE surgical implants in 2013, we now have the ability to meet the growing needs of our U.S. customers in this all-important segment of the market." 

The firm has been marketing its customized surgical implants in Europe and is currently seeking additional regulatory clearances in other countries around the world. 

Source: Matrix Surgical USA