medGadget reported on Jun 3, 2014, "3D Printed Titanium Hip Combined with Stem Cell Graft Implanted Into UK Patient
Stem cell therapies and #3dprinting of body parts have been making a splash in the medical community, potentially offering treatment for a variety of very different diseases and conditions.
Physicians at University of Southampton have successfully brought the two technologies together to aid a woman with a damaged hip to restore her anatomy to a more natural state.
The new hip was printed from titanium and was based on the patient’s own CT scans, enabling a perfect fit for the ball of the femur bone to fit into the artificial socket.
To promote natural healing around the implant and to aid bone restoration, a graft seeded with the patient’s own bone marrow cells was positioned behind the implant. Though the surgery went well, there’s still a good deal of waiting time left to see how the therapy benefits the patient in the longer term.
[ Perhaps a strategy for #monetizing your 3d printing expertise is to partner with surgeons, orthopedic specialists and other healthcare providers at large hospitals and medical centers? Make a presentation of articles about bioprinting and 3D printing to decision-makers, complemented by a brief show n’ tell. Or perhaps partner with a prosthetics maker or durable medical equipment shop? ]
#entrepreneur
#stemcells #ctscans