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4WEB completes first patient-specific implant procedure in Australia
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4WEB Medical recently announced completion of the company’s first Australian patient-specific segmental bone defect procedure in Brisbane.
Completed in mid-July, the procedure was supported by LifeHealthcare, a 4WEB Australian partner, and it was 4WEB’s first patient-specific implant surgery in Australia.
“The ability to customize the truss implant to match the unique anatomy of an individual patient is a significant advancement in orthopaedics,” Matt Muscio, chief operating officer of LifeHealthcare, stated in a press release. “Current porous metal technologies rely on bone attachment which has shown some drawbacks over time. The open architecture truss implant technology provides a robust scaffolding for structural support while allowing for osseous incorporation.”
Designed by clinicians and 4WEB engineers, the truss implants are constructed through additive manufacturing and are designed using CT-based 3-D images of each patient. After the clinician uses the imaging data to planthe bone resection, engineers design a custom truss implant to fill the void. The design is approved by the clinician and 3-D-printed prior to implantation.
“We are very excited about 4WEB’s first Australian patient specific implant procedure,” Jessee Hunt, 4WEB president and chief executive officer, stated in the release. “While this is our first custom implant procedure completed in Australia, 4WEB has completed nearly 100 custom truss implant procedures performed worldwide dating back to 2011.”
4WEB has produced other patient-specific implants for such orthopedic procedures as spine fusions, sternectomies, hemi-pelvectomies and distal tibial osteotomies.