Growing Trend: Hip and Knee Advancements in 3D Printing

Gartner, Inc. said that 3D printing (3DP) technology has progressed rapidly in recent years, and that medical applications are leading to some of the most significant deployments of 3DP technology.

Gartner's 2015 Hype Cycle for 3D Printing reveals that 3DP of medical devices has reached the Peak of Inflated Expectations, but certain specialist applications are already becoming the norm in medical care (see chart above).

"In the healthcare industry, 3DP is already in mainstream use to produce medical items that need to be tailored to individuals, such as hearing aids and Dental devices," said Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner.

Some medical 3DP technologies are further from mainstream use, but are equally, if not more, exciting. Hip and knee replacements, for example, are a $15 billion industry and are one of the most common surgical procedures. Early trials using personalized 3D-printed replacements indicate improved healing times and function of the implant as well as an improved success rate in more complex operations. Given the size of the market, Gartner predicts that 3D-printed hip and knee replacements, as well as other common internal and external medical devices, will be in mainstream use within two to five years.

Disruption will occur in two traditional areas,  as Additive Manufacturing matures,  disruptions within subtractive manufacturing one can only guess the impact.  Time to market could be reduced. Mass customization , Patient Specific products model predictably more mainstream.  Decentralizing manufacturing operations might be a real opportunity in 10-15 years.