3-D printing with living tissues may help treat joint diseases

Degeneration of cartilage and other joint tissues is a major cause of disability. A new review highlights the recent developments in biofabrication, a new technique that allows investigators to print living tissues for implantation that can potentially regenerate cartilage and eventually the full joint.

The review also notes that biofabrication can use digital medical images as blueprints for printing patient-specific implants.

"Biofabrication allows for the generation of complex living structures and opens new doors in the treatment of " said Dr. Jos Malda, senior author of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research study.

More information: Wilhelmina Margaretha Groen et al, From intricate to integrated: Biofabrication of articulating joints, Journal of Orthopaedic Research (2017). DOI: 10.1002/jor.23602

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Citation: 3-D printing with living tissues may help treat joint diseases (2017, June 26) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-06-d-tissues-joint-diseases.html
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