Medical 3D Printing in the Military: Looking Back at the Past Twenty-Five Years

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center utilizes an array of digital and additive technology to improve the care and well-being of our wounded warriors. Over the 25 years, 3D printing in the military has evolved from supplying pre-surgical models and custom implant templates to providing patient specific titanium cranial implants, surgical guides, facial prosthetics molds, limb prosthetic attachments, assistive technology devices, dental casts and devices, simulators and task trainers, and research components all manufactured at the Point-of-Care. There are many aspects of a wounded warrior’s care and life that may require a device not currently on the market and/or quicker than industry standards and additive manufacturing allows each provider the freedom to collaborate with an in-house design team to tailor each device to meet critical patient needs. This presentation will examine the growth of 3D printing in the military over the past 25 years, highlight many of the past and recent achievements, and discuss how 3D printing has changed military medicine.