In-situ additive manufactured motion-sparing implants

A method for growing an implant in-situ, comprising:

• positioning, in a first positioning step, a dispensing component within or adjacent to an interbody access space that provides access to an intervertebral disc space defined by a first vertebra and a second vertebra of a patient;
• printing, in a first printing step, a first printing material within or adjacent to the interbody access space within the patient;
• and
• printing, in a second printing step, a second printing material within or adjacent to the interbody access space within the patient;
• wherein the first printing material is in contact with the second printing material wherein the second printing material comprises a plurality of beads, and the method further comprises applying a catalyst to convert a physical state of the beads;
• and
• wherein:
• the additive-manufacturing system further comprises a provisioning component affecting flow of printing material to or through the dispensing component;
• and
• the controller apparatus, in the first and second printing steps, controls the provisioning component based on dispensing-component movement data to control a rate at which the printing material is dispensed.

A method for growing an implant in-situ, comprising:

• positioning, in a first positioning step, a dispensing component within or adjacent to an interbody access space that provides access to an intervertebral disc space defined by a first vertebra and a second vertebra of a patient;
• printing, in a first printing step, a first printing material within or adjacent to the interbody access space within the patient;
• and
• printing, in a second printing step, a second printing material within or adjacent to the interbody access space within the patient, wherein the first printing material is in contact with the second printing material;
• obtaining sensor data generated by one or more sensors of the dispensing component, wherein the sensor data indicates that a shape or position of tissue of the patient;
• performing operations, by a system controller, to adjust an in-situ-printing plan based on the sensor data;
• and
• controlling operations of the dispensing component in accordance with the in-situ printing plan for completing growth of the implant in-situ after the second printing step.