Osseointegrated Prosthetic Paw Made in TechnoSpark

20.02.2019

A osseointegrated hindlimb prosthesis was successfully anchored in Novosibirsk.

A mongrel named Chance, about seven years old, was admitted to a veterinary clinic in Novosibirsk for a hind leg amputation after a road accident in summer 2018. The doctors decided to replace the amputated limb with a prosthetic one. Since there are no mass-produced prostheses for dogs, it was necessary to quickly produce a custom made prosthesis for Chance at affordable cost. This is possible only by using additive technologies.

In order to design the prosthesis, an MRI scan of the dog was made. The prosthesis was printed by TEN Med Print Company which specialises in producing serial and individual endoprotheses and medical implants by using additive technologies. This company is part of the TechnoSpark Group of Companies that belongs to the investment network of the Fund for Infrastructure and Education Programs of the RUSNANO Group.

“We are getting more and more orders for production of individual implants for animals. There are no veterinary prostheses available on the market. While additive technologies allow producing individual prostheses that can improve the quality of life of severely injured animals,” says Alexandr Narchuk, CEO of TEN Med Print.

The implanted titanium prosthesis and the bone fused together two months after the operation. Eventually, the support ability of the limb was completely recovered.

The video provided by the veterinary clinic shows all stages of working on the prosthesis for the dog in detail. Polygon Medical Engineering and TEN Med Print companies, as well as Tomsk Polytechnic University were involved in the process of manufacturing the prosthesis for the dog.

3D-printed implants and endoprotheses become more and more widely used in surgical practice for bone replacement after injuries and cancer operations, for planned joint replacement and in other medical conditions requiring individual implants. TEN Med Print is a company which specialises in the contract manufacturing of endoprostheses and implants. The company has a certified quality management system in accordance with ISO 13485 and the certificate of conformity for the production of individual surgical implants. TEN Med Print is part of the TechnoSpark Group of Companies.