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People with Damaged Knees, Hips Could Be Treated with 3D-Printed Artificial Cartilage


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The honeycomb lattice of the cartilage replacement material.

University of Colorado Denver scientists used a three-dimensional (3D) to create artificial cartilage for potentially treating damaged hips, knees, and vertebrae.

Credit: University of Colorado

University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) scientists three-dimensionally (3D)-printed artificial cartilage for potentially treating damaged hips, knees, and vertebrae.

The technique entails the manipulation of liquid-crystal elastomers (LCEs), a highly flexible material with an outstanding ability to dissipate high energy.

The researchers converted LCEs into a honey-like resin and loaded them into a specialized 3D printer, which prints the resin in a honeycomb-like lattice that emulates the structure of human cartilage.

The resin is hardened into its final shape by exposure to ultraviolet light.

CU Denver's Christopher Yakacki said the method offers the potential to repair spinal damage, because "with 3D printing—and the high resolution we've gotten from it—you can match a person's anatomy exactly."

From Daily Mail (U.K.)
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Abstracts Copyright © 2020 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA


 

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