83 year-old woman got 3D-printed mandible

February 5, 2012
3D_printed_mandible

3D printed mandible (credit: University of Hasselt)

The University of Hasselt (Belgium) has announced that Belgian and Dutch scientists have successfully replaced a lower jaw with a 3D printed model for a 83 year-old woman, 3Ders.org reports.

According to the researchers, It is the first custom-made implant in the world to replace an entire lower jaw.

Normally it takes a few days to produce a custom implant, but with 3D printing technology it takes only a few hours.

3D printed mandible

3D printed mandible (credit: University of Hasselt)