Thanks to the marvels of 3D printing combined with existing CT scan technology, one man finally has a diagnosis for significant pain he has endured for over two decades. Since an assault in 1988, Paul Heathcote has had severe pain in the left side of his face and throat that doctors just couldn't diagnose to treat. Heathcote took matters into his own hands in 2011, after thinking he'd had a stroke due to the pain, and generated 3D images from a cervical spine CT scan he'd had done, creating a 3D print. Through these, Heathcote and his doctors saw a fracture of his hyoid bone and he was finally sent to the correct specialist, who diagnosed him with Hyoid Bone Syndrome. While it's too late now to perform surgery on the fractured bone, Heathcote finally knows an accurate diagnosis and pain management can be better targeted. Read more in the full article: http://3dprint.com/21369/hyoid-bone-syndrom-3d-print/ ‎


Below is a 3D rendering of a hyoid bone fracture: