Ningyang First People's Hospital recently succeeded in carrying out a total knee arthroplasty surgery using the latest 3D printing technology, which is the first case of its kind in Tai'an, Shandong province, local media reported.

Cooperating with the 3D Printing Center of Beijing Naton Medical Research Institute, the hospital collected necessary data of the patient's damaged right knee through a CT examination, and produced an exact model of the knee based on the data using the 3D printing technology, to help doctors precisely analyze the damaged knee and implant the artificial knee.

Just three days after the surgery, the patient who was suffering from severe knee damage and hadn't received satisfactory treatment until the surgery was able to get out of bed and move around.

"With the help of the 3D printing technology, the artificial knee implanted perfectly fits the anatomical conformation of the patient's knee, thus simplifying the once complicated surgery and improving its accuracy," said Zhang Zhaokun, director of the Orthopedic Surgery of the hospital.

The technology also helps produce a customized osteotomy template as a surgical instrument, which efficiently shortens the time and reduces bleeding during the surgery, thus achieving an excellent surgical effect, added Zhang.