Vincent the cat was born without rear tibias, but luckily was found at a campsite before the deformation left him in serious danger in the wild.
Iowa State University’s Dr. Mary Sarah Bergh was able to further aid Vincent by 3D printing a pair of titanium prosthetic legs to help the cat get around.
The titanium prosthetic legs are actually embedded directly into the cat’s bones, enabling the bones to grow around the metal as he grows so they can be modified accordingly
Vincent is now three years old and prospering with the help of his cutting-edge prosthetics.
“I think this does open the door for us to be able to help other animals that have similar problems,” said Dr. Bergh. “And even what we’ve learned just through Vincent’s one case, we’ve actually refined the technique and the implants, so the next cases we do moving forward will be even more successful.”
