Additive manufacturing for metallic spinal implants: A systematic review

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is rapidly finding application in the manufacturing of spinal implants. The flexibility of manufacturing complex freeform structures combined with lattice structures has opened an era of newer types of spinal implants with better osseointegration surfaces and lesser stress shielding. AM is being utilized not only for off-the-shelf spinal implants but also for customized spinal implants also, manufactured using CT-scan/MRI data of patients. In the present study, efforts have been made to summarize work published in the field of metallic AM applications for spinal implants.

Keywords

• Additive manufacturing
• Selective laser melting
• Spinal Implants
• Cages