3D printer helps to save the lives of Maddy and Briella Luk

Born with a rare form of dwarfism and struggling with a condition that twisted their spines, Maddy and Briella Luk’s lives were under threat … until a pioneering surgeon turned to a 3D printer.

As Maddy and Briella Luk laugh, run around and kick a ball it is incredible to believe they have a 3D printer to thank for not just this simple joy but life itself.

The two children of Nicole and Bernard Luk, who also have an older child, were born with a rare form of dwarfism called diastrophic dysplasia.

In 2018, both girls faced a further debilitating condition called kyphoscoliosis related to their dwarfism.

Their spines were curving sideways and also bending forwards “like a spiral staircase” and, if left untreated, would threaten their lives by crushing their lungs.

“It would have been life-limiting because it is right where their lungs are, so it would have put pressure on their lungs and could lead to respiratory failure,” Mrs Luk said.

Sisters Maddy (left) and Briella Luk show off the 3D printouts of their spines and skulls. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

To straighten their spines, both girls needed to be in a device called halo-gravity traction, which pulled the spine straight before spinal fusion surgery could stabilise their backs.

“It is a metal frame attached to the skull and it is a very long and gentle stretch to straighten the spine before the spinal fusion,” the Mrs Luk, of Glenhaven, said.

Maddy and Briella in their halos (left), and an X-ray showing how the intricate devices are fitted to the twisted spine.

But, before the halo frames could be fitted, doctors needed to know exactly what the girls’ individual skulls looked like before choosing where to put the pins and screws that would need to take the weight of the girls for six months.

For the first time, models of their skulls were generated from computer topography and 3D printed out.

The replica models could be cut in half to see where the thickest parts of the skull were in each child to guide the pin ­placement.

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead orthopaedic surgeon Dr Randolph Gray, who published a paper on the technique last year, said the advancements of 3D printing were a game-changer in the case of the girls.

Maddy and Briella were in the halo frames for six and eight months. Picture: Instagram

“As far as we know using a 3D printed skull to work out the best place to insert the pins into the skull has not been done before,” Dr Gray said.

“The girls had to be in ­traction for six to seven months, which is a long time to hang someone in traction, so it was critical to work out where those pins should go in the skull.

“We could place the pins so accurately we were able hang them for seven months without having to redo the halo.

“We have done one other kid and used the same technique with the 3D printers available at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. As long as you have a CT scan and a printer, you can do it.

“We have also used 3D printed jigs to accurately place screws in the spine. In the adult setting, we can use 3D printed titanium implants that are left in the spine permanently and can be custom-printed.”

The sisters enjoy playing in the backyard of their Glenhaven home. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Maddy spent six months in traction and younger sister Briella was in traction for eight months. After their ­spines were straightened, they were then fused, again using 3D printed replicas.

“What we have gained is more hope for the future. Now their spines won’t ­collapse,” Mrs Luk said.

Maddy, now 11, is in Grade 6 and Briella, eight, is in Grade 3, and the girls are lucky enough to have great friends.

“The world is not made for people who are very different,” Mrs Luk said.

“Kids can be cruel but they can also be kind and helpful, sometimes we’ve had trouble with kids being too helpful, we have been blessed.

“Most of the issues we have had have been with ­ignorance, not with cruelty.”

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