Cancer patient receives world's first 3D printed ribs, sternum

(FOX 11) - A cancer patient has received the world's first set of titanium 3D printed ribs, Australian researchers announced Friday.

The 54-year-old Spanish cancer patient suffering from a tumor growing around his rib cage needed his sternum and and a portion of his rib cage replaced.

"This part of the chest is notoriously tricky to recreate with prosthetics, due to the complex geometry and design required for each patient," Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) stated in a news release.

The patient's surgical team at Salamanca University Hospital in Spain sought the help of Australia-based medical device company Anatomics to create a customizable 3D titanium implant that could copy the structure of his sternum and ribs.

According to CSIRO, the patient was discharged 12 days after the surgery and has recovered well.

Tap here to read the full report.