Rapidly destructive osteoarthritis (RDO) is a rare condition that can lead to joint degeneration and destruction of the hip. Patients with RDO that are placed on waiting lists often suffer from compromised outcomes as the bone deteriorates quickly. If left too long, this can make surgery harder and more time consuming, and eventually lead to compromised patient outcomes.

The Case

In this case, a 40-year-old man suffering with RDO in his right hip was due to undergo a hip replacement surgery.

The Solution

The patient’s medical scans gave a two-dimensional view of his condition, but due to the aggressive nature of the syndrome, his surgeon wanted to be clear of just how badly affected the hip and acetabulum bones had been impacted. A 3D replica of his hip was printed by Axial3D to aid the surgeon as he planned the operation, supporting him to make decisions safely and efficiently.

Benefits of using the 3D Model

Not only did this model give the surgeon critical information and reassurance of his surgical plan, it was also used to support a more targeted approach to selecting the equipment required for the procedure. By preselecting equipment the surgical team was able to save valuable time and money in the operating theater. Crucially, this led to decreased intraoperative risk for the patient as the operating time was reduced by 40 minutes. Thus the benefits were across the board for patient, surgeon and hospital.

Disclaimer: Details of Axial3D’s regulatory clearance for diagnostic use cases are outlined here. For all other uses of Axial3D solutions, they should be used for demonstration and education purposes only.