Three-dimensional printing technology in surgery

Background: Three-dimensional printing has become an increasingly widespread technology, becoming more accessible to individuals, small businesses and organisations. It represents the ability to manufacture objects of various substrate material using computer aided 3D plans. This article aims to explore the various uses of this technology in medicine and surgery including future directions and applications Method: A generalised review of past and current articles was performed exploring the known uses of three-dimensional printing in medicine and surgery. Results: Broadly, the applications include; education for health professionals and patients, surgical planning and decision-making, custom prostheses, tissue scaffolds, and customised surgical instrument manufacturing. Future directions include bionic prostheses, live tissue grafts, and whole organ printing.