PREVIEW

Gladys the gorilla has been in the wars - but is thankfully on the mend after her broken arm was put in a 3D-printed titanium cast.
The 11-year-old primate was found in Cincinnati Zoo’s Gorilla World enclosure with a sore arm she wasn’t using after a scuffle with two younger females. X-rays subsequently revealed she had broken her left humerus.
“It’s not unusual for gorillas to have altercations, and this one was actually a minor squabble,” said Victoria McGee, Cincinnati Zoo’s Zoological Manager of Primates. “She must have fallen in just the wrong way to break her arm, but the result was a complete, oblique facture of her distal humerus.”
Gladys was initially fixed up with a temporary cast after being sedated and undergoing an operation - just like a human would - but the cast could not stand up to gorilla power.
So, veterinarians and gorilla keepers at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden outfitted Gladys with the world’s first 3D-printed titanium cast, made by the firm GE Additive.
“She was pretty hard on the other cast,” said Dr. Mike Wenninger, Cincinnati Zoo’s director of animal health. “We’re hoping that this one will be more gorilla proof.”
Keepers hope so - as it’s made of the same material, titanium, as the screws and plates that are now part of her arm for life!
The creation of a gorilla-proof cast for Gladys was only possible due to GE Additive’s fast printing process.
“One benefit of 3D printing is fast turnaround times,” said Shannon Morman, advanced lead engineer at GE Additive, who was on-site to help with any necessary adjustments. “ Following a call on Friday afternoon, our team met up over the weekend to create initial design ideas. The following Monday we scanned the original cast to create a 3D model and were ready to start printing the same day. The titanium cast took around 65 hours to print, and we were able to deliver it to the Zoo team in under a week.”
The new cast is much heavier, about 8 pounds, than the temporary cast but Zoo vets say that shouldn’t be a problem for Gladys. Gorillas have incredibly strong arms, so she should be fine with this weight.
“That doesn’t mean that she likes it!,” said Victoria McGee, Cincinnati Zoo’s zoological manager of primates. “But she is tolerating it better than she did the first one. She’s been locomoting comfortably, adapting her movements to the cast carefully and safely! Before the titanium cast, we were very limited on the spaces Gladys could safely be in. With this addition, Gladys can “graduate” to additional behind-the-scenes spaces that will allow her to have more choice and exploration throughout the day.”
She will wear this cast for about four weeks and will remain behind the scenes at the zoo while she heals. She will be in proximity to her troop mates but will not share space with them until after the cast comes off.
That doesn’t mean poor old Gladys isn’t feeling sorry for herself - but her care team is monitoring her closely and providing around-the-clock attention.