3D printing in the medical field

Abstract

Introduction: 3D printing has represented a technological advance in the field of health sciences. This additive manufacturing allows the creation of grafts, autotransplates and tissue regeneration.Objective: describe the contribution of 3D printing to the field of medicine.Methods: A review of the literature was carried out in the month of November 2023 through access to the databases Scopus, PubMed, Dialnet, Scielo, and the search engine Google Scholar version 2022, with the strategies: ((print 3D) AND (medicine)), ((medicine) AND (technological advances)) and ((3D printing) AND (surgical sciences) AND (prosthetics) AND (orthoses) AND (surgical procedures)) and their translations into the English language , limited the search to the last 5 years –from 2019 to 2023–, in Spanish, English or Portuguese languages.Development: In a general sense, 3D printing refers to the sequential accumulation of materials on a platform through different production methods, including: polarization, injection injection, binder injection, material extrusion, powder bed, lamination metal and metal tank. This creation process that consists of printing 3D objects by superimposed layers in ascending order.Conclusions: 3D printing has allowed us to reduce the costs and manufacturing time of the structures used in medicine –implants, prostheses, grafts and surgical material– as well as a great advance in medical education from the creation of three-dimensional pieces that allow better preparation and maintenance of surgical skills.