J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Jul;13(7):856-862.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2016.03.025. Epub 2016 May 26.
Trace AP1, Ortiz D2, Deal A2, Retrouvey M2, Elzie C3, Goodmurphy C3, Morey J4, Hawkins CM5.
From its inception as a tool for prototype development in the early 1980s, three-dimensional (3-D) printing has made inroads into almost every sector of industry, including health care. Medical applications range from extra- and intracorporeal orthopedic devices to complex, temporal reconstructions of patient-specific anatomy that allow operative planning and education. In the contemporary climate of personalized medicine, the utility of tangible 3-D models extrapolated directly from patient imaging data seems boundless. The purpose of this review is to briefly outline the development of 3-D printing, discuss its applications across the many medical and surgical specialties, and attempt to address obstacles and opportunities facing radiology as this technology continues to be integrated into patient care.