This thesis examines how additive manufacturing is transforming orthopedic prosthetics, with a focus on the economic, technical and systemic shifts that are redefining production paradigms and healthcare business models. It uses an analytical framework that integrates market analysis, technology assessment and process modelling. The study posits that AM is a disruptive general-purpose technology that enables genuinely patient-specific design, fabrication and delivery. Chapter one outlines the standard process chain for 3D printing: digital acquisition, design and lattice generation, slicing, building, post-processing and inspection. It also surveys the main AM techniques and relevant metallic and polymeric biomaterials for implant applications. Chapters two and three investigate the effects of AM on manufacturing processes, business models, and cost structures.