Utrecht University 3D prints skull cap for sick dog

The Veterinary Medicine faculty of Utrecht University 3D printed a skull cap for a dog - a premier in Europe. The dog had a benign tumor removed from the skull bone last year and the tumor was so large that he needed a new skull cap, NU.nl reports.

Through collaboration between the faculties Veterinary Medicine and Medicine, the University succeeded in printing a new skull cap for the dog in titanium. "An important advantage of 3D printing a skull is that it can be perfectly tailored for the individual. And an edge can be printed from porous titanium", veterinarian professor Bjorn Meij said. "This edge allows the bone to grow into the implant and integrate it into the skull."

The dog is doing well.

The two faculties have been working together for some time. They're researching the possibilities of 3D printed implants for humans and animals.