An entire ankle rebuilt with a 3D printed custom prosthesis: it is the first time in the world and the implantation took place on October 9 at the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute in Bologna. The operation, illustrated today at a press conference, took place on a 57-year-old patient who had lost ankle joint function following a serious motorbike accident of which he was a victim in 2007. After 13 years, thanks to the intervention , man has now recovered full possibility of walking.

That developed at Rizzoli is an innovative technique for customizing the entire prosthetic replacement procedure of the ankle: starting from the patient's anatomy, so far considered inoperable, a customized 3D printing implant of the ankle has been built. A work resulting from the joint effort of orthopedic surgeons and engineers from Rizzoli and the University of Bologna. The team was led by Professor Cesare Faldini, director of the Orthopedic Clinic 1.