Mexican researchers fit dog with 3D printed prosthetic leg

A six-year-old dog named Romina, who was injured in a lawnmower accident, is fitted with an articulated prosthetic leg made with 3D printing technology.

Specialists at the Universidad del Valle de Mexico's Veterinary Hospital (UVM) worked for six months designing the country's first articulated leg with joints that mimic the natural movement of the Whippet's leg.

Santiago Garcia, UVM's great species coordinator and specialist in prosthetics, said being able to print out the model in 3D made the process easier and enabled him to adjust it quickly.

"When we have the 3D model of the patient's limb, we are able to adjust the size of the piece to the patient, in terms of millimeters," he explained.

The team hopes to develop prophetic limbs for other animals such as turtles and crocodiles.