3D printing is nothing new but its uses are still being discovered with a massive number of 3D printed objects already taking the market by storm. Whether it is a custom machine part, a children’s toy, a fancy technological gadget or even a part of a building, the possibilities are endless with this laser technology. There are many benefits of 3D printed products as well such as reduced cost of production and environmentally friendly resources. In today’s technological and science-driven world, 3D printing is not restricted to non-living things anymore, rather it has become a crucial part of biomedicine, with the aim of helping humans as well as animals.
Different methods and techniques are always being tried and tested to make the lives of wildlife as well as domestic animals as convenient as possible. So it comes as no shock that now 3D printed parts are also being considered as a vital replacement for animal body parts that have been lost due to some unfortunate accidents and can’t be healed. This method can also provide animals born with disabilities a chance to experience a normal life.
Some heart-warming stories include that of a cat named Dimka who lost all its legs and tail due to frostbite and was given a titanium prosthesis by implanting them in the bone. Dimka was able to return to its normal cat routine; playing and jumping to any surface it could find!
Similarly, Buttercup, a duckling was given a 3D printed foot made from the sample of her sister’s foot. Not only has this been effective for small animals, but it has also been used for the treatment of an elephant named Masha who had lost its front leg in an accident and became the first elephant to receive a prosthetic leg.
3D printing has come a long way since the initial stages and it won’t be wrong to say that it still has a lot of potential and a lot of ground to cover.