Patient specific instrumentation utilizes 3D printing technology to develop patient specific cutting blocks/jigs. These cutting blocks have been pre-measured and pre-calculated as a product of X-Rays, CT scans and MRI scans which are obtained from the index patient pre-operatively.

Accurate intra-operative bone resections are based on these cutting blocks/jigs. Many of the further bone resections that lead to the final bone preparation, are referenced off these initial pre-measured guided bone cuts. The final product is the accurately sculpted bone or joint resection that allows for a perfect and secured implantation of the prosthetic joint with or without cementation. The correct implantation ultimately offers an optimal joint articulation, general limb alignment and rotation, as well as optimizing kinematics and longevity of the implant. This in addition to the designs used aims to achieve the most ideal tribology of the components on par with today’s current standards of care.

Patient specific instrumentation therefore offers the advantage of the pre-operative calculations in order to lessen operative time, by minimizing intra-operative decision making, such as jig adjustment with respect to angles, rotation and resection depths.

In addition the methods used for these calculations shift from intra-medullary techniques (ie. inserting long rods into the canal) to extra-medullary referencing ie. minimizing the invasiveness and trauma that were traditionally required to obtain these measurements.

This technology for the reasons mentioned above offers the advantage of optimizing accuracy and surgical speed by saving operative time which ultimately and indirectly translates to less blood loss. Many of these factors therefore have bearing in lowering complication rates.