Printed Truss Designs Promote Implant Osteotomies

Innovative three dimensional (3D) implant designs facilitate foot, ankle, spine, and other orthopedic osteotomy procedures.

The Osteotomy Truss System is indicated for internal bone fixation and osteotomies in the foot and ankle, such as Evans lengthening osteotomies, opening wedge osteotomies of Hallux Valgus, and Cotton opening wedge osteotomies. The innovative foot and ankle implants are designed using engineering principles such as structural mechanics and adjacent material reaction, and implant surface texture has been designed to reduce the chance of migration. An added advantage is that the open architecture allows osteoblastic migration and growth to create new bone in the internal spaces of the truss, allowing for up to 75% natural graft material.

Topological dimension theory is the basis of the novel truss geometry, allowing it to be used as a building block to create high-strength, lightweight, web-shaped structures made of Ti6Al4V, an alpha-beta Titanium alloy. The manufacturing process using 3D printing technology and surface treatment technology, since the intricate truss implants cannot be produced using legacy manufacturing technology such as machining and cast molding. The Osteotomy Truss System is a development of 4WEB Medical (Frisco, TX, USA), and is available in 74 sizes.

“Within a short amount of time surgeons have already utilized 55 of the Osteotomy Truss System's 74 sizes in surgery, demonstrating the significant market demand that 4WEB Medical has now addressed,” said Jessee Hunt, president of 4WEB Medical. “Due to the breadth of this offering, the Osteotomy Truss System brings an FDA-cleared solution closer to a design that is tailored for patient-specific needs.”

“Similar to the technology used in bridges, skyscrapers, and airplane wings, truss designs provide strong structural support and integrity when implanted within the body with the goal of sustaining angular corrections,” said foot and ankle surgeon John Crates, MD. “Additionally, the structural mechanics and surface topology of the Osteotomy Truss System promote osseous incorporation and potentially accelerate healing.”

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