# Additive Manufacturing for Surgical Planning and Education: A Review
## 4 Applications of 3D Printing in the Medical Field  
3D printing continues to find new and innovative applications in healthcare, transforming and enhancing lives in previously unimaginable ways. Its impact has been evident across a spectrum of medical disciplines, including but not limited to cardiothoracic surgery [46], cardiology [47], gastroenterology [48], neurosurgery [49], oral and maxillofacial surgery [14], ophthalmology [50], otolaryngology [51], orthopedic surgery [52], plastic surgery [53], podiarity [54], pulmonology [55], radiation oncology [56], transplant surgery [57], urology [58], and vascular surgery [59]. The diverse benefits of this technology have paved the way for various direct applications in the medical and clinical domain [60]:  
* Utilized for personalized presurgical and treatment planning. Numerous studies have showcased the potential benefits of patient-specific presurgical planning [61; 62; 63; 64; 65; 66]. Additionally, it allows the customization of prosthetics or surgical tools based on individual patient anatomy, enhancing the understanding of unique and complex anatomical structures in each case [64; 65; 66; 67]. Moreover, 3D printing permits the accurate selection of prosthetic component sizes before implantation [68; 69; 70].
* Tailored surgical instruments and implants: This customization not only ensures precision but also reduces costs, attributed to the efficiency of additive-manufacturing techniques [71].
* Researching osteoporodic conditions enables a precise assessment of the patient's bone condition, leading to informed decisions regarding surgical interventions [72].
* 3D printing facilitates the rapid prototyping of new design concepts or enhancements for existing medical devices, allowing for swift development and testing.
* 3D-printed patient-specific models have proven to enhance performance and accelerate learning, leading to improved knowledge, management, and confidence among trainees across various specialties [8; 73]. The advantages of 3D printing in education include the reproducibility and safety of the 3D-printed models compared to cadaver dissection, the ability to model diverse physiological and pathological anatomy from extensive image datasets, and the potential to share 3D models among institutions, especially those with limited resources [74; 75; 76].
* Patient education is a crucial aspect of patient-centered care, and healthcare providers prioritize effective communication. Presenting imaging reports verbally or displaying CT and MRI scans to patients often falls short, as these 2D representations may not fully convey the complexities of 3D anatomy. In contrast, 3D printing offers a promising solution, enhancing doctor-patient communication by directly showcasing anatomical models [77; 78].
* Enhancing Forensic Practices: Within legal proceedings, 3D models serve as invaluable tools to explain complex anatomical irregularities, bridging comprehension gaps that often arise with conventional cross-sectional imaging, especially for jury members [79].
* Bioprinting, an innovative application of 3D printing, facilitates the creation of implantable tissues. For instance, synthetic skin can be 3D printed and transplanted onto burn-injury patients, offering a groundbreaking solution for skin grafts [80]. Additionally, bioprinting finds utility in evaluating cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical products through tissue testing [81].
* Personalized drug 3D printing involves layering powdered drugs to enhance their dissolution rate compared to conventional pills, ensuring faster absorption in the body [82]. This innovative approach not only accelerates drug delivery but also enables the customization of the required quantity according to individual patient needs, marking a significant advancement in pharmaceutical manufacturing [83]. We examine will further examine some case studies of these areas related to surgical planning in more detail below.