A Meta-Review about Medical 3D Printing

Abstract

AbstractIn recent years, 3D printing (3DP) has gained importance in various fields. This technology has numerous applications, particularly in medicine. This contribution provides an overview on the state of the art of 3DP in medicine and showcases its current use in different medical disciplines and for medical education. In this meta-review, we provide a detailed listing of systematic reviews on this topic as this technology has become increasingly applied in modern medicine. We identified 134 relevant systematic reviews on medical 3DP in the medical search engine PubMed until 2023. 3DP has applications in various medical specialties, but is mainly used in orthopedics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, dentistry, cardiology and neurosurgery. In surgical contexts, the adoption of 3DP contributes to a reduction in operation time, reduced blood loss, minimized fluoroscopy time and an overall improved surgical outcome. Nevertheless, the primary use of 3DP is observed in non-invasive applications, particularly in the creation of patient-specific models (PSM). These PSMs enhance the visualization of patients’ anatomy and pathology, thereby facilitating surgical planning and execution, medical education and patient counseling. The current significance of 3DP in medicine offers a compelling perspective on the potential for more individualized and personalized medical treatments in the future.