Application of 3D printing in orthopedics: status quo and opportunities in China

The 3D printing technology is penetrating the healthcare field at an astonishing rate. Although there is still a long way to go to realize organ printing and despite the constantly existing ethical and technical changes (1), the 3D printing can form 3D supporting structures in a controllable manner and has shown charms in fields such as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine along with the advances in cell printing and bio-printing and the innovation of printing materials (2-4). In the clinical settings, 3D printing, as a novel additive manufacturing technique, is mainly applied in orthopedics and stomatology (5). A group of 3D printingbased patient-specific osteotomy instruments, orthopedic implants, and dental implants have been licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Caritas Europa (CE) for clinical use. The orthopedics in China does not lag behind the Western countries in terms of patient number, operation volume, and surgical skills; however, the Western countries have much advanced orthopedic devices, in particular the implants, than China. The 3D printing technology may provide a chance for the Chinese orthopedists and technicians to independently develop innovative medical devices to catch up with their Western counterparts.