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Our 10 Favorite Blog Posts of 2017

The holiday season is upon us and it’s time to look back at the past year to see what we’ve accomplished and how far we’ve come. It was really tough to narrow down our favorite blog posts to just 10 – we’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in so many collaborations, technological innovations and inspirational stories – and we want to share the cream of the crop with you. Read on to discover our favorite stories of 2017!

Simulation Leads to More Reliable and Less Expensive Production

Dr. Hendrik Schafstall explains what value simulation can bring in Metal 3D Printing, what it means to have simulation integrated within Materialise Magics and what the future of simulation looks like.

Life After Winning A Mimics Innovation Award

The Materialise Mimics Innovation Awards (MIA) have been acknowledging and rewarding researchers who have excelled in medical innovations since 2005. The competition offers international recognition and a monetary prize that empowers winners to continue their research, regardless of the discipline. Participants come from universities, hospitals, medical device companies and research centers that use the Materialise Mimics Innovation Suite software.

Patient-specific Hip Implant Allows Antzelina to Play with her Son Again

The orthopedics team of the HELIOS Clinic in Hildesheim, Germany, helped improve a patient’s mobility by helping her move freely again, without pain, and by making it possible for her to play with her child. The team, led by Prof. Dr. Burkhard Wippermann, used a 3D-printed patient-specific aMace hip implant made by Materialise.

Inspiring Positive Change in the Workplace at Materialise Malaysia

Materialise has always been actively researching and learning what it takes to sustain peak performance and a healthy, happy workforce; which not only promises higher productivity, less turnover, and a more resilient work culture - it upholds our mission statement of contributing to a better and healthier world as well!

Nick Ervinck Takes 3D-Printed Art to Japan

Nick Ervinck is no stranger to 3D Printing. He’s been using the technology to create his fantastical sculptures for years, blending the digital with the traditional. His latest 3D creation is NESURAK, which featured as part of his GNI-RI exhibition at the AXIOM Art & Science Gallery Lab in Tokyo.

Getting Fractured NOF Procedures Right First Time with Digital Templating

There are around 70,000 fractured neck of femur (#NOF or broken hip) cases admitted to hospital annually in the UK, about 1.6 million worldwide. It is a serious and potentially life threatening injury in older people and an increasing financial burden on the Health Service. Subcapital fracture is a common type (where the fracture line extends through the junction of the head and neck of femur) and is generally treated with hemiarthroplasty. Getting the surgery right first time is a critical part of the solution, as treating a subcapital neck of femur fracture well can significantly reduce mortality and morbidity as well as reduce associated costs for the hospital.

Optimizing the MARCH II Exoskeleton

We always love working on projects with students – the energy and fresh ideas they bring to the table make these sorts of projects extremely rewarding! One such project was the MARCH II, a student initiative from the Technical University of Delft which aims to create an exoskeleton for paraplegics that would allow the wearer to walk unaided.

Bednet Virtually Transports Bedridden Schoolchildren to the Classroom with Mobile Unit

Bednet is an organization which enables children with long-term or chronic illnesses to follow classes from the comfort of their own home. The patient’s friends and classmates can see them on a screen at the back of the class, and they can follow the lesson as if they were physically present. We donated 3D-printed parts for the Bednet mobile unit, which was nominated for the prestigious Henry van de Velde Life Quality Award last year!

Breaking Down 3D Printing Barriers: It Takes a Community