Bone Frame

Three-dimensional printing will save patients from amputation

Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+

Some bone injuries are so serious that even surgeons cannot repair them. According to researchers from the University of Arizona, the solution in such situations can be a combination of stem cells and three-dimensional printing.

The team described in the UA Researchers Study press release How to Regrow Long Bone Segments Using 3D Printing is working on creating three-dimensional plastic frames capable of replacing missing or damaged bone fragments. They are seeded with stem cells and calcium particles that stimulate regeneration.

Experiments on rodents have shown that the technique works well and allows you to completely restore the bone in about three months. Now the researchers intend to speed up the process. In a new study, they will test whether exercise can further reduce the time it takes to restore bones.

To do this, scientists will build tiny sensors into the implants that analyze the load on them. The team expects that the experiment will demonstrate the benefits of physical exercise for the treatment of fractures.

Then the team will conduct clinical trials of the technique on military personnel.

If successful, doctors will be able to repair damage to long bones, which are not treated today and usually lead to amputations. We are talking not only about the consequences of accidents and accidents, but also about patients who have undergone surgery with bone cancer.

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