3-legged dog walking again thanks to 3D printing
Ziggy had a difficult and rather rough start as a puppy, but 3D printing technology and a
couple of clever people have helped him get up and running again.
The two-year-old Border Collie was found abandoned in 2014 as a puppy, with a broken front leg that wasn't correctly healing and required amputation.
"He was a happy little puppy and didn’t mind at all that he only had three legs," said Colvin who adopted him.
It was this sprightliness that proved to be detrimental for Ziggy, who was limping and seemed to be in pain when walking.
To stop the deformity getting worse,
Ziggy underwent surgery in 2014, where part of his bone was removed and
the front leg was splinted to ensure it would grow straight. To help
Ziggy get around, Colvin and Althor had a customised cart made.
Ziggy started to develop arthritis and needed corrective surgery to make sure he would be good for the longterm. Before Christmas in 2015, Ziggy received the surgery from McGhie and Dr Lance Wilson with the aid of 3D modelling and printing.
"CT scan images of Ziggy's leg were used
to create computerised and printed three-dimensional models of his
limb. These models were then used to calculate where the bone had to be
cut and how it had to be manipulated to straighten the limb so Ziggy
could walk normally," McGhie said.
Eight weeks later, Ziggy is free from the cart and is trotting around on his repaired leg without assistance. He is getting "stronger and stronger every day," Colvin said.
Finally, it is no longer a dog's life for Ziggy.
