Application of 3D printing technique in clinical practice of spinal surgery

Abstract

Objective To explore the application of 3D printing technology in clinical apprenticeship teaching in spinal surgery. Methods 38 eight-year clinical medical students admitted to the Department of Spine Surgery were randomly divided into experimental group (19 patients) and control group (19 patients). Taking odontoid fracture as an example. The traditional method is used for teaching, and the experimental group is taught with traditional teaching method combined with 3D printing technology. After the apprenticeship, the students of the two groups were tested in theory and simulated operation to evaluate the teaching effect. SPSS 17.0 was used for statistical analysis. The measurement data was expressed as mean ± standard deviation, and the t-test was used to compare the measurement data between two groups. Results The results showed that the scores of immediate examination and one month after class in the control group were (82.23±7.52) and (72.36±6.39) points respectively. The scores of immediate examination and one month after the class in the experimental group were (85.58±6.32), (80.87±6.23). The scores of the two examinations in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion The 3D printing technology can significantly improve the teaching effect in the clinical apprenticeship teaching of spine surgery, and it has a bright prospect for application. Key words: 3D printing technology; Clinical practice; Spinal surgery