Building confidence in a safer, alternative route to surgery with 3D modeling

The Case

This orthopedic surgeon had planned an elective surgery for his patient, but was not confident that he would be able to successfully complete this surgery due to a complex Olecranon Fracture - a break in the “pointy bone” of the elbow that sticks out when the arm is bent. This type of fracture is common and usually occurs in isolation, but can sometimes also be part of a more severe elbow injury.

The Solution

The physician was unsure if a surgical procedure would be possible due to the severity of the fracture, so ordered a patient-specific 3D anatomical model, firstly, to assist him in developing the optimum surgical plan, and secondly to allow him to rehearse the the procedure. Having access to the 3D model gave the surgeon an entirely new perspective on the patient’s condition and enabled him to confidently plan and practice the surgery .

Benefits of using the 3D Model

As a result, the surgery was completely successful with the patient receiving a full elbow replacement. The surgeon called out in feedback that the 3D enabled better case planning than any 2D visualization currently available. As a further benefit, this model streamlined the patient consent process as the patient was able to fully understand his condition and the surgical plan.

Up next: 3D modeling from a patient’s perspective: improving the patient consent process