The first patients in the U.S. have been treated with CMFlex, an off-the-shelf 3D-printed synthetic bone graft developed by Dimension Inx and printed using 3D-bioplotters from Desktop Metal’s 3D-printing brand Desktop Health.
The product was used in jaw surgeries in Connecticut and North Carolina as well as in dental socket preservation surgeries for future dental implant placement in Illinois.
CMFlex, which was given clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2022, is mostly made of a bone mineral -- hydroxyapatite -- and is combined with a biodegradable polylactide-co-glycolide polymer. The bone repair material is 3D printed into CMFlex, which is designed to promote natural bone regeneration after implantation, without the need for an autograft. The product, which absorbs fluid, allows oral and maxillofacial surgeons to customize each one.
Currently, CMFlex is available to a limited number of clinicians, but a broader release is expected for later in 2024.
