Four 3D-printed titanium legs helped the amputated cat move normally again.
The cat Dymka can stand and move easily on four titanium legs. Photo: Kirill Kukhmar/TASS/Getty
During the harsh Siberian winter, veterinarians in Novosibirsk typically treat at least five to seven cats with frostbite in the paws, ears, and nose, Gorshkov told the Moscow Times . The cold temperatures in this area can cause the skin and tissues to freeze, especially in the extremities. In severe cases, tissue dies and amputation is required.
Gorshkov and colleagues at the center collaborated with researchers from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) in Tomsk, Russia to create a prosthetic for Dymka. Scientists have developed and applied a coating made of calcium phosphate to help attach titanium implants, insert and fuse into the cat’s leg bones, minimizing the risk of infection and reaction from the implant.
The researchers used computerized X-ray (CT) scans of Dymka’s legs to model and then 3D print the titanium rods. Dymka received prosthetics in July 2019, first in his front legs and then in his hind legs.
Dymka is now the second cat in the world to receive four metal prostheses. In 2016, the Novosibirsk veterinary center performed a similar case, transplanting titanium into a male cat named Ryzhik who had four legs amputated because of frostbite.
