- Dymka lost all her feet to frostbite after staying out in the cold for too long.
- So a team of veterinarians and researchers scanned her legs and 3D-printed titanium feet to replace her lost limbs.
- Two years later, Dymka can still easily get around, thanks to her new feet.
A cat from Russia was given a new lease of life when she was provided with four 3D-printed titanium feet to replace her lost limbs.
Cat’s 3D-printed limbs – Future BlinkThis cat is living her best life with new 3D-printed titanium limbs.
Posted by Mashable on Monday, July 19, 2021
Dymka was found by a kind stranger on the side of a road in Novokuznetsk, Siberia. She was suffering from frostbite after having been out in the cold for so long. This cost her all her feet, which had to be amputated.
Fortunately, a team of veterinarians refused to euthanize her and partnered with researchers from Tomsk Polytechnic University for new technology that could help Dymka regain her mobility.
The team took CT scans for detailed X-rays of Dymka’s legs. They then used those scans to 3D-print titanium rods, which were then inserted into the cat’s stumps.
The rods were coated with calcium phosphate, a “biomaterial” that will reduce the risk of infection and rejection by her body. Small rubberized feet were then attached to the ends.
Thanks to her new feet, Dymka can easily walk, run, jump, and climb up and down stairs even two years later.
Dymka is the second cat to have received such treatment.
Ryzhik, another cat from Russia, also lost her limbs to frostbite and received new titanium feet.
The two cats now live together as best friends in the medical facility that provided them a new life.
Thanks to several new pieces of technology, struggling animals have so many ways to continue a good life.
Source: Inspire More