Ciencia y tecnología veterinaria

Thinking Outside of the Box: The Potential of 3D Printing in Veterinary Medicine

Abstract

Deidre M Quinn-Gorham* and Javed Khan M

The purpose of this project was to gain a better perspective of how 3D printing technology works by getting a first-hand look at this process and then strategize ways that this technology can potentially be used in veterinary medicine. A metal orthopedic plate and a humerus from a dog were obtained from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine. A 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) model of the metal orthopedic plate was made and printed using a plastic Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament. 3D CAD models of the metal plate and the humerus were also generated using a 3D Laser Scanning process. Using the CAD images from laser scanning, the metal plate was printed using aluminum material and the humerus was printed using nylon material. The 3D printed objects were very accurate in comparison to the original objects. In conclusion, this project demonstrated the value and potential in having the technology to duplicate anatomical structures and surgical instruments, which can lead to a variety of useful and unique applications in the academic and clinical realm of veterinary medicine.