Three-Dimensional Printing of Bone Fractures: A New Tangible Realistic Way for Preoperative Planning and Education.

We would like to present the first report in the literatureof the use of 3-dimensional (3D) printed models ofbone fractures.Actually, X-rays and computed tomography (CT) areused today to evaluate bone fractures. Understanding thedislocation of fragments, the amount of displacement,and the joint involvement is necessary for a successfultreatment.Three-dimensional printing is a new low-cost technologythat uses a 3D computer representation to create solidobjects1; 3D-printed models for orthopedic conditionscan improve understanding of anatomy and pathology bymeans of tactile and visual experience to complementimages displayed on a computer monitor.