Materialise invests in AM hip preservation start-up Replasia
Materialise, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, announced that it has invested in Replasia, a Belgian medtech start-up developing personalised, additively manufactured solutions and anatomical analysis software for hip preservation.
Materialise stated that this investment reflects its belief that personalised treatments can play an important role in improving clinical outcomes and that hip preservation is becoming an increasingly important aspect of orthopaedic care.
Replasia’s flagship product, the 3D Shelf Implant, is a patient-specific implant manufactured using Additive Manufacturing and positioned outside the joint capsule. Designed to preserve future treatment options, the implant offers an alternative treatment approach for selected patients with certain forms of hip dysplasia. Unlike joint replacement procedures, the technology aims to preserve the native joint while reducing the need for more invasive surgical interventions and lengthy rehabilitation.
In August 2025, Replasia initiated a first-in-human clinical investigation in the Netherlands. The study is evaluating the 3D Shelf Implant as a less invasive alternative to established surgical procedures for adult hip dysplasia and represents an important milestone in the clinical validation of the technology.
Alongside its implant technology, Replasia has developed HipStudio, a commercially available service that provides surgeons with patient-specific anatomical measurements to support treatment planning for hip preservation procedures. The software is intended to improve understanding of individual anatomy and biomechanics, helping surgeons make more informed treatment decisions.
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As part of the collaboration, Replasia will have access to Materialise’s expertise in personalised medical solutions, digital planning software and commercialisation pathways.
Materialise noted that Replasia’s portfolio complements its own existing personalised orthopaedic offering, including patient-specific acetabular implants developed to address complex revision cases. Both companies share a focus on improving biomechanical reconstruction and fixation to support long-term patient outcomes.
