Reabilitação animal com manufatura aditiva: o futuro das próteses personalizadas para cães

Abstract

The study evaluated the use of additive manufacturing as an auxiliary resource in the rehabilitation of amputee or deformed dogs, considering its technological and scientific impact in the field of modern veterinary medicine. The research was conducted through a bibliometric analysis, which organized studies on the application of 3D printing in the development of custom prosthetics and in the creation of assistive solutions tailored to the anatomical needs of each animal. The objectives include identifying the main categories, processes, and materials used in manufacturing, as well as adaptation rates, perspectives, and challenges across engineering, design, and veterinary medicine related to the advancement of additive manufacturing in animal rehabilitation. The results indicated that additive manufacturing facilitates the production of customized devices, offering greater adaptability, well-being, and accessibility compared to conventional production methods. Among the 80 articles identified through bibliometrics using the Scopus, Scielo, and Redalyc databases, the number of publications per year, the percentage of studies using the most common materials, the distribution of records by type of intervention, the frequency and percentage of bibliographic sources analyzed by country, the main limitations and clinical and procedural implications, the materials used, and their main applications were also identified. In addition, the set of studies discussed indicated that additive manufacturing enables a more consolidated integration between mechanical engineering, biomedical design, and veterinary medicine, which can lead to advances in model accuracy and treatment efficiency. Furthermore, it was observed that despite ongoing challenges related to material fragility, the durability of parts, and the adaptation process for animals, 3D printing stands out as a beneficial solution for progress in animal rehabilitation. Therefore, technology helps to improve the mobility, autonomy, and quality of life of dogs that require custom prosthetics, consolidating its role as an innovative and expanding resource in the veterinary clinical field.