3-D Printed Menisci
July 11, 2017 | Terry Sharrer
Natural menisci in the knee have firmer cartilage in the center and softer, on the outside, making a shock absorber that is both strong and flexible. Mimicking that, engineers at Duke University have used two kinds of hydrogel materials—one stiffer, the other stretchier—in designing an artificial menisci, plus added “nanoclay” which allows a prosthetic to be 3-D printed. Like other kinds of 3-D bioprinting, the resulting product is customized to the individual—another step toward personalized medicine. MORE
Image Credit: Feichen Yang