Case Study: North Carolina State University achieves a world-first 3D-printed feline knee implant to restore a cat’s mobility with Materialise

3D Printing Creates the World’s First Replacement Knee Joint in a Cat

North Carolina State University surgeons were challenged to save Cyrano L. Catte II, a 26‑lb cat with bone cancer and severe distal femur deterioration who would normally face amputation. To avoid losing the limb and because of the need for tiny, highly precise parts, the team used Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite to create accurate 3D models from CT scans and plan a custom, limb‑sparing solution.

Using Materialise software the team adapted a canine knee design with BioMedtrix, then had EOS print a cobalt‑chromium implant with built‑in porous features for bone integration, creating the world’s first complete 3D‑printed feline knee implant. Materialise’s workflow enabled a personalized, load‑bearing implant that spared amputation; Cyrano has returned home, now walks with a slight limp and has regained full use of the joint.

North Carolina State University

Ola Harrysson

Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering