Materialise announced today that it entered into a collaboration with Exactech to provide 3D-printed implants for shoulder defects.
Leuven, Belgium-based Materialise provides 3D planning and printing solutions for medical applications. Gainesville, Florida-based Exactech develops innovative implants, instrumentation and smart technologies for joint replacement surgery.
Together, they aim to include the Materialise Glenius solution in the Exactech portfolio. This would enable surgeons to help patients with personalized implants in Europe and Australia.
In a news release, Materialize said orthopedic surgeons can leverage its personalized implants to treat patients with substantial glenoid bone loss. These patients fail to receive sustainable results from standard and augmented reverse shoulder implants.
“By including the Materialise Glenius implant into our existing offering, we’re providing surgeons in Europe and Australia access to an even more extensive shoulder portfolio,” said Chris Roche, Exactech SVP, extremities. “We are happy to partner with Materialise to bring greater personalization and additional artificial intelligence technology to shoulder reconstruction.”
Materialise’s engineers design each Glenius implant based on the patient’s unique anatomy. The company uses 3D data, simulation and artificial intelligence (AI). Materialize said it aims for more predictable outcomes in the most challenging eroded glenoid scenarios. It achieves this by optimizing the fixation and stability of the implant while maximizing bone preservation.
“Demand is growing in the orthopedic industry for personalization of medical devices,” said Brigitte de Vet, VP, medical at Materialise. “Medical device companies adopt mass personalization by starting with high-value use cases and moving towards more high-volume applications. Materialise is dedicated to enabling researchers, engineers, and clinicians to revolutionize patient-specific treatment that improves clinical outcomes.”