Alberta High School CTS - 3D Printed Bone Replacements

thingiverse

This is a high school Career Technical Studies module designed to combine biology, digital design, and sports medicine curricula into a course where students create and print surgical bone replacements. The technology at most high schools doesn't allow for implant-worthy bones, so focus shifts to digital design, 3D printing, and connections to the medical field. Check out my website for progress pictures, curriculum connections, and project design: https://2teacher4u.wordpress.com/high-school-cts-3d-printed-bone-replacements/ How I Designed This I made this femur model in Blender 2.74, although the model itself isn't that great. Admittedly, I'm still new to using Blender's sculpting tools and have made a few mistakes, including way too high polygon count and crashing my computer in the process. I fixed some issues, but eventually, I'll make a newer and better example print. Project: 3D Bone Replacements Objectives: The full list of curricular connections and learning objectives is accessible through the document provided. Major outcomes include: Students will: Explain basic anatomy and physiology of the skeletal system Explain basic anatomy and function of muscles and joint structures Plan and produce solutions to 3D design briefs Incorporate elements and principles of design to achieve design solution Produce and present a portfolio-ready drawing, image or rendering Apply consistent and appropriate workstation routines Identify possible life roles related to skills and content of this cluster F1-4.1 assess strengths and weaknesses of computer simulations in relation to real-world problems Develop an understanding of the nature of science and technology, relationships between science and technology, and social and environmental contexts of science and technology. Audiences: This is a specially designed project-based Design course in the high school CTS stream. It draws on outcomes from courses: HCS1050: Musculoskeletal System DES2045: 3D DESIGN 2 Biology 20, Biology 30 The core audience should be students in the CTS and Biology streams with endeavors towards careers in digital design and/or medical fields. Preparation: Students should have access to and familiarity with high-end design software such as Blender or ZBrush, as well as a 3D printer. Steps: Students will: Submit an initial report having researched the medical process of surgical bone replacement and 3D printing Design and print three bone replacements with aim of surgical bone replacement Submit a final report detailing processes used and difficulties encountered All these are gone into greater detail in the document provided. Results: The femur model I sculpted can be used as an example to students (you can see the original model that I used as a reference beside it as a comparison), but I also know there are plenty of other bone models here on Thingiverse that can be used to that end as well. I'd recommend any teacher wanting to use this activity try their hand at making their own model first though. The final result of the project are three printed bone designs, each matching one of the following: A segment of a large bone An entire small bone A skeletal joint Students are also required to finish and submit an initial and final report. The details for these and a rubric for grading criteria are included in the pdf document on this page.