Future of orthopaedic surgery is 3-D bio-printing
(WorldNews New Zealand)

JOSEPH JOHNSON/STUFF 3D bioprinting using ink and cells at the University of Otago School of Medicine site at the Christchurch Hospital. Not soon. But eventually NZ surgeons will custom 3-D print bones and cartilage for implanting. Will Harvie reports. Imagine this future scenario: A surgeon has removed a cancer that`s eaten into a patient`s bone. The procedure has left a `void` or hole in the bone. The surgeon then implants bone tissue created from the patient`s own cells and some regenerative scaffolding materials. They have been layered and shaped by 3-D bio-printing to match the anatomical shape of the void. In the right circumstances, the scaffolding materials biodegrade as the bone...