Article Summary: Bouncy Bone can be 3D-printed to become a universal repair kit
The newly developed ink can be used to 3D-print flexible bone implants in any size, shape and form, giving surgeons a cheap and versatile way of repairing an injury. Ramille Shah at Northwestern University in Illinois and her colleagues have developed an ink that can be 3D-printed into bone implants that ultra-elastic, allowing surgeons to cut and manipulate them to form the perfect shape.
The ink is made from hydroxyapatite, a mineral found naturally in bine, and PLGA, a polymer that binds the mineral particle together and gives the implants their elasticity. In the test, the implants healed spinal defects in rats as fast and as well as existing treatments. The team also made an implant to heal an area of damaged skull in a monkey. Shah says the material should reach in the clinic within five years.
The newly developed ink can be used to 3D-print flexible bone implants in any size, shape and form, giving surgeons a cheap and versatile way of repairing an injury. Ramille Shah at Northwestern University in Illinois and her colleagues have developed an ink that can be 3D-printed into bone implants that ultra-elastic, allowing surgeons to cut and manipulate them to form the perfect shape.
The ink is made from hydroxyapatite, a mineral found naturally in bine, and PLGA, a polymer that binds the mineral particle together and gives the implants their elasticity. In the test, the implants healed spinal defects in rats as fast and as well as existing treatments. The team also made an implant to heal an area of damaged skull in a monkey. Shah says the material should reach in the clinic within five years.
