3D Printed Bones With Iron-Manganese Scaffolding

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine have created a new material which is made from 3d printed iron and manganese. The material can be used with amazing results as a scaffolding for bones.

http://3dprint.com/1604/3d-printed-b...lding-created/

Unlike plastics or solid iron which are commonly used in bone scaffolding today, this new 3d printed material has much better results, and will ultimately be used with all sort of human tissue. The material has the ability to biodegrade over time much quicker than that of solid Iron, and can be printed out to fit the patient's needs.

Very cool info. Thanks for posting this.

We actually had a university in Sydney print a bone matrix with our printer, fire it, cover it with nutrients, then plant donor osteocytes for reconstructive orthopedic surgery last year - one of our first units out the door.

I'll post a link to the writeup once I get it.

http://www.3ders.org/articles/201410...ubstitute.html