Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 27/11/2012 16:21:09

Title: Can we 3D print functional cartilage?
Post by: thedoc on 27/11/2012 16:21:09

A novel printing technique can print replacement cartilage in 3d...
Read a transcript of the interview by clicking here (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/interviews/interview/1000027/)

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Title: Re: Can we 3D print functional cartilage?
Post by: CliffordK on 27/11/2012 21:00:54

Most extraordinary.

Consider knee arthritis.  Current therapy includes arthroscopic surgery to remove and smooth cartilage.  But, once the cartilage is mostly gone, there is little left, but the use of systemic pain meds, and eventually  joint replacement which is pretty brutal, considering that really what one needs is a little joint lubrication.

And, of course, the artificial joints can wear out, or come loose, and are also a place for bacterial colonization.

I can imagine taking a 3-D image of the knee.  printing out new cartilage, and rebuilding the original knee, hopefully good enough to last a half a lifetime.

Would similar technology have other applications?  rebuilding ligaments?  Eye lenses?  Neural and Axonal Tissue?  Skin?  Organs like kidneys?

Would it be possible to design living antigen neutral tissue for grafting?