Case Study: Skåne University Hospital achieves restored mobility for a teenager with Materialise 3D-printed hip (Mobelife aMace®)

3D Printed Hip Puts Teenager Back On Her Feet

Skåne University Hospital faced a case of a 15-year-old girl with neurofibromatosis who had a severely deformed, painful left hip and was unable to attend school or walk unaided. Professor Rydholm from Skåne University Hospital engaged Materialise (via its Mobelife subsidiary) to address the problem, using Materialise’s Mimics® and 3-matic® software and the patient-specific Mobelife aMace® triflanged acetabular implant.

Materialise performed CT-based segmentation and virtual surgical planning, used FEA to validate the design, and exported a custom titanium triflanged cup for 3D printing (manufactured by LayerWise). After implantation, the patient was pain-free almost immediately, was walking with one crutch within months, and about 18 months later had returned to school without crutches—restoring mobility and avoiding a predicted lifetime in a wheelchair.

Skåne University Hospital

Rydholm

Professor