A groundbreaking medical procedure is helping an injured gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Gladys, an 11-year-old gorilla, broke her arm last month in a scuffle with her siblings and was placed in the world’s first 3D-printed titanium cast. Designed by GE Aerospace company Colibrium Additive based in Montreal, Canada, the cast has been working well, according to zoo veterinarians. Cincinnati Zoo primate team leader Ashley Ashcraft reported that Gladys tolerated the 3D-printed cast much better than the temporary one placed on her arm during surgery.
Gladys underwent surgery to repair her arm on April 14 after breaking it in a minor squabble with her siblings. The injury was a complete, oblique fracture of her distal humerus, which required a titanium cast to help aid in healing. The team at Cincinnati Zoo kept Gladys separated from her pack and the public in the first few weeks of her injury while she was attended to 24/7. The zoo confirmed that it’s not unusual for gorillas to have altercations with each other, and the hope was that the titanium cast made of the same material as the screws and plates in Gladys’ arm would be “more gorilla-proof.”
Cincinnati Zoo’s director of animal health, Dr. Mike Wenninger, praised the keepers for doing a fantastic job of keeping Gladys distracted and happy so she can heal. X-rays show that healing is happening and the plan is to keep her in the cast for a few more weeks. After that, Gladys will require physical therapy but should be able to use her arm like she used to. Dr. Jessica Heinz and her team will continue to work with Gladys through stretching and mobility exercises to ensure that she can make similar movements on her own once she’s out of the cast.
Gladys will likely remain removed from her pack and the public for a few weeks after the cast is removed to reintroduce her slowly. Cincinnati Zoo confirmed that Gladys has been able to get around much better than expected with the 8-pound cast and will continue to require additional care and therapy to fully recover. The titanium cast took around 65 hours to print, and Colibrium Additive was able to deliver it to the zoo team in under a week. The zoo plans to continue working closely with Gladys to ensure her full recovery and reintegration into her pack.
