Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
3D printing holds promise as a method to create artiicial cartilage. At
Cornell University, Danny Cohen, Larry Bonassar, and I 3D printed a sheep's
meniscus. First, we took an MRI scan of the sheep's knee and adapted the
image data into a design ile. Next, we extracted living cells from the sheep
and stirred them into a medical hydrogel. Finally, we squeezed the gel mixture
through a 3D printed head, in this case, a syringe. In a later research project,
Larry Bonassar 3D printed real human ear cartilage whose “design ile” origi-
nated in data from an optical scan of an outer ear.
We 3D printed an artiicial meniscus of living
cells from a sheep. The “design file” was a CT scan.
The printed cells thrived in their new environment but
the artiicial meniscus was never implanted.
There's nothing simple about the human body and creating even a simple
tissue such as cartilage remains a complex process. Although it's possible to 3D
print living cartilage, just successfully printing living cartilage is just half the
battle. We haven't solved a critical second challenge. Our joints were designed
to take punishment. Artiicially made cartilage needs to be toughened up and
conditioned before it's ready to be transplanted into someone's body. Therefore,
cartilage made in a research lab must be subject to mechanical stress before it
can be implanted.
Like an indulged child protected from his environment, artiicially made
cartilage that has enjoyed a privilege life inside a sheltered petri dish hasn't
faced the reality of life's relentless pounding. In the absence of external
stressors such as miles of swimming or pounding games of tennis, artiicial
cartilage remains laccid and weak. If artiical cartilage were to be inserted
