Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Supplies and Components Index
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • MedTech Resources
    • Medtech Events in 2025
    • The 2024 Medtech Big 100
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Educational Assets
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Video
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Women in Medtech
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Analyst: More Opportunities for SMEs in Orthopedics Following FDA Approval of 3D-Printed Implant

January 8, 2014 By GlobalData

More opportunities will be created for medical device SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in the 3D printing space following last year’s US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the first 3D-printed orthopedic implant – a patient-specific cranial device manufactured in the US – says an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData.

Linda Tian, MSc, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Orthopedic Devices, believes that as competition intensifies in the joint reconstruction space, the future lies in the ability of medical device manufacturers to achieve a better mimicry of natural joint kinematics, therefore enhancing the patient experience. 3D printing is now starting to play a significant role in helping firms to address these issues.

Tian says: “The shift to personalized healthcare underpins the importance of tailored surgical plans and patient-specific implants. With 3D printing, such products can be printed on a per-patient basis and customized easily to each patient’s needs, which presents an ideal opportunity for medical device manufacturers to seize.”

3D printing could also impact on orthopedic procedures through cost-saving advantages, which are achieved by rapid prototyping and manufacturing.

Tian continues: “Printing orthopedic products in 3D, using high-resolution polymer technology, allows clients to see every complex angle and feature, and the subsequent reduction in the number of iterations needed to reach a final design is a big time-to-market accelerator.

“Custom-made orthopedic prostheses usually take weeks or even months to be designed, fine-tuned and fabricated, while it is clear that 3D printing promises a much shorter time frame.”

While hospitals and private-practicing physicians begin to integrate and incorporate 3D printing into the services they offer, Tian expects the orthopedic industry to see a number of small- to medium-sized firms, which specialize in this 3D service, expand and act as contracted service providers for hospitals and/or large orthopedic companies alike.

Related Articles Read More >

Verily Study Watch
Verily says its Study Watch could identify heart failure risk
A child using a medical device at home.
Device design takes the spotlight among 2024’s top health tech hazards
These 11 medical device inventions are the best of 2023, Time magazine says
A photo of a Best Buy Geek Squad employee helping a chronic care patient with a remote monitoring device.
Device manufacturers have an unexpected ally for at-home health care
“mdo
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest medical device business news, application and technology trends.

DeviceTalks Weekly

See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media LLC. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Supplies and Components Index
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • MedTech Resources
    • Medtech Events in 2025
    • The 2024 Medtech Big 100
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Educational Assets
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Video
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Women in Medtech
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe