Duke Uses Custom-Printed Bones to Help People Walk After Trauma
3D Printed Bone Replacements Save Limbs, Improve Quality of Life
What once might have seemed like science fiction is now a common procedure at Duke -- replacing damaged or diseased ankle bones with 3D printed replicas. In the not-too-distant past, for most people with severe ankle injuries involving the talus (the bone between the shin and the heel) or a failed ankle replacement affecting the talus, the only choices were amputation or fusing the shin and heel bones. As one of the early adopters and innovators of 3D talus replacement surgery, Duke Health offers a better option.
3D Technology and a Doctor’s Imagination
When 23-year-old Bryana Riley learned her lower left leg needed to be amputated following a serious car accident in her hometown of Atlanta, her family sprang into action. After scouring the internet, Riley’s mother found what she was looking for -- Selene Parekh, MD, a foot and ankle surgeon at Duke who is well-known for innovative orthopaedic surgeries using 3D printed bones.
Dr. Parekh had performed countless 3D printed talus replacement surgeries, but Riley’s case was different. The damage to her ankle was serious -- some of the crucial supporting bones in her ankle were missing. Also, not only would the talus need replacing, but also the bone that stabilizes the ankle (the malleolus). “We’re one of the leading centers in the world for 3D talus replacement, so the novelty for us in this case was to replace two bones at the same time,” Parekh said. Despite the challenges, he knew he could help.
"It’s all about imagination. 3D printing can do whatever you want. You just have to be able to imagine it and communicate it." -- Selene Parekh, MD
Because he could not replicate her missing bones, Parekh designed 3D replacements based on mirror images of her right ankle. “It’s all about imagination,” he said. “3D printing can do whatever you want. You just have to be able to imagine it and communicate it.” In Riley’s case, he was able to imagine and recreate the missing talus and malleolus. The procedure could not have gone any better. “We executed the surgery just as we planned on the computer. It shows the power of 3D printing and how it has allowed surgeons to save limbs and restore quality of life.” Today Riley is walking without a limp and getting back to the activities she enjoys.
