12 - Additive manufacturing (AM)

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM or three-dimensional (3D) printing) is a relatively new method that enables fabrication of metallic and nonmetallic parts directly from the CAD (computer-aided design) file. In general, in this method, the CAD file is sliced vertically into thin layers and each layer is fabricated on top of the previous layer until the final part is fabricated. Thanks to the freedom in the design of CAD files and therefore the freedom in the fabrication of almost any geometry, AM has become a unique solution especially for the fabrication of patient-specific implants as well as biomedical devices with complex or customized geometries. In this chapter, after an introduction to AM and different techniques, advantages, limitations, and challenges of the AM are discussed. Biomedical applications of AM, market analysis, biological considerations, and biocompatibility of AM parts are covered in the following sections. Eventually, as a case study, patient-specific bone plates for mandibular reconstruction surgery are introduced.