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 joint damage" said Dr. Jos Malda, senior author of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research study.
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Journal of Orthopaedic Research®