3D Medical chairman Dr Nigel Finch says 3D printing could eliminate the need for hospitals to carry large and expensive supplies of surgical implants.

Instead, parts could be 3D-printed just weeks before they are required.

3D Medical recently developed a 3D-printable and customised plastic and titanium jaw joint that was used to correct a rare jaw deformity in a 32-year-old male patient at Melbourne's Epworth-Freemasons Hospital.

The 3D-printed corrective implant was made to perfectly fit the patient's mandible.

Weight-bearing joints for the knees, hips and shoulders could be similarly 3D-printed.

Dr Finch says 3D printing could generate significant savings for hospitals and the health sector, and provide bespoke solutions for patients.