Materialise Introduces New Virtual Surgical Pre-Planning System and 3D Printed Guides for Shoulder Surgery

Any surgery has its challenges, but Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty (RSA) and Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (TSA) present their own unique difficulties. The incisions are small, resulting in limited visibility; the Glenoid cavity is deep in the surgical window; the area doesn’t have landmarks the surgeons can rely on for alignment. That’s a problem because these surgeries require precise alignment, as it affects the overall screw length and fixation in RSA and the occurrence of peg perforation in TSA.

Materialise is now launching a new product for surgeons to better plan these operations and to order patient-specific shoulder guides. The TRUMATCH Personalized Solutions Shoulder System includes an all-in-one web-based platform that allows surgeons to plan and prepare in 3D rather than working only with 2D images. With 3D virtual pre-surgical planning, implant positioning is done within a stable reference frame that’s linked to the entire scapula, using reliable landmarks that are not subject to case-specific wear patterns. Using the system, the surgeon can be more precise in implant alignment and screw positioning, which improves the overall fixation.

By using the TRUMATCH Personalized Solutions Shoulder System, surgeons can make better, more well-informed decisions before the surgery rather than during it, giving them more control and confidence and resulting in better outcomes. The pre-surgical planning may also lead to a decision to use personalized 3D printed guides, especially if glenoid deformities lead to conventional instruments or guides being less effective. Using the TRUMATCH system, surgeons can easily order custom 3D printed guides through the same platform.

“3D planning is gaining popularity with orthopaedic surgeons performing shoulder operations. Together with our strategic partners like DePuy Synthes, we are continually working to improve surgical planning processes for a range of operations. We are proud that this expanded collaboration will empower even more orthopaedic surgeons to discover the benefits of online planning and 3D-printed, patient-specific surgical guides,” said Fried Vancraen, Founder and CEO of Materialise.

Materialise is releasing the TRUMATCH Personalized Solutions Shoulder System in collaboration with DePuy Synthes, its longtime partner. The two companies have introduced several other such systems in the past, most recently the TRUMATCH maxillofacial implant system. The 3D printed titanium implants are part of an overall solution that also includes virtual surgical planning for corrective jaw surgery and facial reconstruction.

The growing portfolio of surgical pre-planning and 3D printing services that Materialise offers means that more surgeries will go more smoothly and quickly, and fewer patients will have the need to come back for additional surgeries. The combination of virtual surgical planning and 3D printing has made a huge difference in the lives of many patients, who are spending less time on the operating table and more time doing the things they loved to do prior to their injuries.

Materialise will be presenting the TRUMATCH Personalized Solutions Shoulder System this week at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting, which is taking place in New Orleans from March 6th to 10th. Materialise will be at Booth #3729 and will give a lunchtime presentation on March 7th in the Technology Theatre. DePuy Synthes will be distributing the TRUMATCH Personalized Solutions Shoulder System in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

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