Need a new bone? 3D printers could jumpstart the healing process

• By Ray Walters on December 2, 2011 at 6:30 pm

While 3D printing is not a new technology, it’s still one that every geek in the world wants to get their hands on. The possibilities within those magic boxes are limited only be one’s imagination. Want to print another 3D printer out of your current one? No problem! Funds tight for Christmas and your kids want some sort of toy? No problem, just print it!


Have a broken a bone or osteoporosis? Believe it or not, medical researchers have been working to re-purpose a commercial 3D printer to be able to print humans bones, in a matter of speaking. A team from Washington State University has been tackling the issue of how to correct bone defects and the loss of mass caused by the disease. Using a printer provided by ProMetal, the group set out on a year process to customize the machine for use in printing plastics. 
  
While the device doesn’t print actual full bones, it does create “bone bridges.” These are implants that act like a wire frame for new bone mass to grow on.For example, if a person has a bad hip bone due to fracture, surgeons can go in and place one of the bridges. Within a week new bone mass will start to grow around it. This is an optimal process because instead of doing an artificial replacement, doctors can foster the growth of the real thing.The bridges are made up of a fine ceramic powder that is coated with plastic one layer at a time by the printer. Directed by a CAD program, an “inkjet” of sorts sprays the plastic layers onto the powder, creating the different implant styles. The process has been tested in rats and rabbits so far, with very positive results. With continued research, human trials for bone regrowth could begin in as little as ten years.

The possibilities of the implementation of these advances in the future are very exciting. 3D printed bones could one day make things many of today’s problems a thing of the past.
The video embedded below, from Susmita Bose, a member of the development team on this project, explains the process.