Abstract
As in many areas of knowledge, rapid prototyping technology or additive manufacturing,
popularly known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, has been gaining ground in medicine
in recent years, with different applications. Numerous are the benefits of this science
in orthopedic surgery, by allowing the conversion of imaging tests into 3D models.
Therefore, the aim of the present study is to describe a practical step-by-step for
the printing of parts from patient imaging. This is a methodological study, considering
preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans of patients with orthopedic deformities.
Initially, the digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) examination
should be imported into the 3D reconstruction software of anatomical structures for
the segmentation and conversion process to the stereolithography (STL) format. The
next step is to import the STL file into the 3D modeling software, which allows you
to work freely by manipulating the 3D mesh. The 3D models were printed additively
on the GTMax3D Core A3v2 fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology printer.
Keywords
orthopedics - preoperative care - three-dimensional printing
