Onkos Surgical Reaches 1,000 3D-Printed Pelvic Implant Cases

Onkos Surgical announced on August 11 that its My3D patient-specific pelvic implant platform has reached 1,000 completed cases. The milestone reflects the growing role of 3D printing in complex orthopaedic surgery, where standard off-the-shelf implants often cannot account for the specific anatomy of patients with bone loss, tumour involvement, or revision-history complications.

Each My3D implant is custom-designed for an individual patient. The process starts with advanced imaging and 3D anatomic modelling, which the surgical team uses to plan the procedure virtually before any incision is made. The resulting implant is then manufactured to match the patient's unique bone geometry. The platform holds FDA 510(k) clearance and is used primarily for acetabular reconstruction in revision hip surgery and tumour orthopaedic cases.

Why a personalized implant matters

Conventional pelvic implants come in a fixed range of sizes and shapes. When a patient's anatomy deviates significantly from those options, surgeons have historically had to compromise on fit, stability, or both. A patient-specific implant removes that compromise. The implant sits flush against the bone, distributes load more naturally, and reduces the risk of complications that arise from poor implant positioning.

Onkos Founder and CEO Patrick Treacy said the milestone reflects more than a number: "Reaching the 1,000th personalized My3D pelvic implant case is a meaningful milestone for Onkos and for the surgeons who partner with us on solutions for their patients. Our personalized approach is built around understanding each patient's unique anatomy and helping surgeons translate that understanding into a thoughtful reconstruction plan."

The 3D printing link

My3D implants are produced using additive manufacturing. The technology allows Onkos to produce complex, patient-specific geometries that would be prohibitively expensive or impossible to manufacture using conventional methods for a single piece. Metal 3D printing, typically using titanium, gives the mechanical strength needed for load-bearing pelvic applications while matching the specific contours of each patient's anatomy.

Rick Swanson, Onkos Director of Patient Solutions, noted that the 1,000-case milestone represents a significant knowledge base: "The knowledge and expertise our engineers have developed through close collaboration with surgeons sets us apart. The clinical insights gathered from each case continue to strengthen our personalized design process and support future surgeon-led planning sessions."

Clinical adoption

More than 350 leading academic medical institutions in the United States use Onkos solutions for complex revision and tumour orthopaedic cases. The My3D platform is used across that network, with cases growing as surgeons become more familiar with the workflow and as reimbursement pathways for patient-specific implants continue to develop.

Jerome Barry, MD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, highlighted the practical benefit: "My3D implants present a revolutionary option for acetabular revision surgeries. Adapting implant designs to meet the unique anatomical needs of patients significantly improves reconstruction outcomes, particularly for difficult acetabular cases."

What this signals

Hitting 1,000 cases marks a transition from experimental to established for a personalized implant platform. In medical 3D printing, getting past the early-adoption phase into routine clinical use is the real hurdle. Onkos is not the only company working on patient-specific orthopaedic implants, but reaching four-figure case volume puts it among the more clinically validated platforms in the field.

The broader implication is that 3D printing in medicine is moving beyond prototypes and surgical guides into load-bearing, permanent implants. As the technology and regulatory framework mature, that trend will likely extend to other joint types and other parts of the body.