Printing Bones - The 3D Way!

Engineers have pioneered a way of using the #-Link-Snipped-# in bones too. Researchers from Washington State University have developed a novel method of helping a person with fractured bone. The research team used a ceramic which can be used as a scaffold for making new bones. This advance will pave way for an insight in new ways of making shapes and structure useful in medical sector.

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Image Credit: 3D TV Watcher

The research team led by Engineers pioneer use of 3D printer to create new bones - BBC News was trying to develop this material since last four years. The breakthrough was achieved when they used a 3D printer device that helps make metal objects. While talking of this experiment, it should be noted that any shape can be crafted that is feasible to be drawn on computer. This adds a whole new aspect of repairing bone injuries to the new technology.

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The US-team believe that the substance they have created does not pose any health risks | Image Credit: WSU

The material which made this possible constituted of Calcium phosphate or ordinary Ceramic powder while the secondary constituents mostly used for adding strength were Zinc Oxide and Silica. In the actual process, a customized form of 3D printer was used to be suitable in this process. Upon the mixture of Calcium Phosphate and other constituents, a thin layer of binder was added. The process was repeated until final geometry of the model was achieved. The constructed model was later dried, cleaned and baked for around 2 hours in an oven at 1250^oC.

The specialty of the technology on the whole is that once the material is inserted in the damaged areas of the bone, signs of growing bone tissue are evident within a week or so. Moreover the process is very economical amounting to only a tenth fraction of the technology we use conventionally. Once the recovery starts, the material dissolves automatically and no ill-effect is observed later on. Tests were also done on rabbits and rats only to get positive results. The treatment which will evolve after this method of bone creation is adopted seems to be safe.

Related to this technique, a hospital in Scotland called Monklands has elaborated similar technique, in which the original damaged bone was scanned and then the data was fed to the 3D printer. This could easily produce scaffold for the injury. The 3D techniques of material modification are fast developing and will prominently be used in medical sectors and mechanical manufacturing. A vast range of applications waits to be made using 3D printing. The major stress will however be on the strength of the structure so made.