Rapid prototyping (RP) is a technology that began in the late 1980s as a way to produce models and prototype parts in an industrial setting. More recently, it has begun to be used as a practical way to address the complications of different types of fractures in hopes that it can help to reduce operating time and also positively influence patient outcomes and reduce complications. It has also been used as a method to produce made-to-order surgical guides, fixtures, and surgical tools for use in the operating room. While there are many combinations of materials and fabrication methods that can be used, the basic premise of RP is the same. Rapid prototypes are accurate reproductions, often to scale, of virtual models obtained through CT data.
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Hurson suggests that RP modeling could be beneficial in the assessment and classification of acetabular fractures, as well as the preoperative planning. In his study, RP models were created for twenty patients with acetabular fractures. Three acetabular surgeons and three senior specialist orthopaedic registrars were asked to classify fractures and design a pre-operative plan based on imaging alone, and were then shown the models and asked to classify the fracture and create a plan using the models. The surgeons felt that the models improved their ability to grasp the personality of the fracture, and in two cases, the approach was changed after the surgeons handled the fractures as models. The models were also beneficial in explaining the surgical methods to patients and describing why the surgeons were using the approach they selected [Hurson, 2007]. Niikura confirms the findings of this study, giving multiple uses for the models throughout the procedure, as well as after the procedure is complete. He suggests that models are beneficial preoperatively in assessment and planning of the fracture, pre-contouring plates, and obtaining informed consent from patients. The models can also be used postoperatively as education tools for surgeons and medical students, and could be used to create a “library” of various fracture types for medical students and surgeons to learn from [Niikura, 2014]. This could be especially useful when trying to determine what type of implant will best treat a fracture, as there are several different devices on the
Hurson suggests that RP modeling could be beneficial in the assessment and classification of acetabular fractures, as well as the preoperative planning. In his study, RP models were created for twenty patients with acetabular fractures. Three acetabular surgeons and three senior specialist orthopaedic registrars were asked to classify fractures and design a pre-operative plan based on imaging alone, and were then shown the models and asked to classify the fracture and create a plan using the models. The surgeons felt that the models improved their ability to grasp the personality of the fracture, and in two cases, the approach was changed after the surgeons handled the fractures as models. The models were also beneficial in explaining the surgical methods to patients and describing why the surgeons were using the approach they selected [Hurson, 2007]. Niikura confirms the findings of this study, giving multiple uses for the models throughout the procedure, as well as after the procedure is complete. He suggests that models are beneficial preoperatively in assessment and planning of the fracture, pre-contouring plates, and obtaining informed consent from patients. The models can also be used postoperatively as education tools for surgeons and medical students, and could be used to create a “library” of various fracture types for medical students and surgeons to learn from [Niikura, 2014]. This could be especially useful when trying to determine what type of implant will best treat a fracture, as there are several different devices on the