A 3D-printed prosthetic jaw has been given to a loggerhead turtle after it was hit by a propeller in Turkey. The accident caused severe damage to the turtle’s jaw, leaving it unable to eat on its own.

It was very important to do something to better the plight of the turtle as it belonged to an endangered species. A titanium jaw was then devised to save the animal’s life, thanks to a partnership between biotechnology company BTech and veterenians, surgeons and researchers at the Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center at Pamukkale University in Turkey.

The project was a two-month stint and marked the first operation to fit the jaw. Medical-grade implants, models and prostheses are created by BTech for people. The Mimics Innovation Suite from Materialise provided the company significant help in creating a 3D model of the affected areas of the turtle’s jaw.

The researchers say that rejection for the prosthetic jaw hasn’t been see so far in the turtle’s body. The turtle is still recovering and needs some more time before absolutely fit to be returned to the wild.

Seven species of sea turtle are present globally and four of them are endangered. Places where loggerhead turtles can be spotted are the Atlantic, Indian, Mediterranean and Pacific.