Indian Hornbill fitted with 3D printed prosthetic after life-saving surgery

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3D printed prosthetic (left) and 3D printed cutting guide (right). 

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Formlabs' 3D printing technology has been used to create a custom-designed 3D printed prosthetic for an Indian Hornbill undergoing surgery to remove a tumour.

ZooTampa called on medical experts from University of South Florida (USF) after the bird – named Crescent – was found to have squamous cell carcinoma, a common skin cancer in human that typically proves deadly in hornbills.

While the most suitable approach to this type of procedure would usually be to remove the tumour, its location at the back of Crescent’s casque would expose her sinuses. The USF team thus decided to 3D print a casque that would allow Crescent to live normally after surgery.

First, USF’s radiology team carried out CT scans. The data from these scans was used to design surgical guides – without which, the surgery would have been ‘much more challenging’ per the surgical team – and the prosthetic casque. Since the new casque needed to be lightweight, hard and durable, USF looked to Formlabs portfolio of biocompatible materials. For this procedure, Formlabs donated its BioMed White Resin, which at the time was still in development and has yet to be commercially released.

Once the tumour was removed, the 3D printed casque was adhered to Crescent’s beak with dental acrylic. Since the procedure, Crescent has exhibited normal behaviour with no change to appetite or vocalisations. Hours after surgery, Crescent unveiled another benefit of the prosthetic. As the Formlabs resin happens to be compatible with the yellow preening oils secreted from Crescent’s glands above her tail, the new casque has the same bright glow as the original.

“Formlabs’ 3D printers and BioMed materials are used to deliver precision healthcare and clinical literature has shown improved outcomes when patient-specific prosthetics, medical devices and surgical guides have been used with human patients,” commented Gaurav Manchanda, the Director of Formlabs’ Medical Market Development. “We’re thrilled that our technology was also able to bring these same benefits to Crescent, who also uncovered a unique, unexpected benefits that warmed the hearts of everyone involved.”