| Using a system of rings, rods and pins, the procedure can add length or turn a bone into proper position, giving an animal a needed leg up. To help ensure chances of surgical success, Marcellin-Little, an associate professor of orthopedics in NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, uses a "rapid-prototyping" technique developed by NC State researchers. Rapid prototyping uses a computer image of an object transferred into two-dimensional cross-sections. Then, layer by layer, a machine fabricates a three-dimensional model. The process is used to build a replica of a twisted limb so that Marcellin-Little can practice the surgery before he gets to the operating room.
Marcellin-Little’s work is typical of the research and practical applications being carried out daily at North Carolina State University. Innovative uses for innovative discoveries. NC State: Achieve! |
