A team of engineers bio-printing ligaments and tendons

At the University of Utah, a team of bio-medicine engineers has developed a method for 3D bio-printing human tissue. In particular 3D bio-printing ligaments and tendons. They modified a conventional 3D extrusion printer and used stem cells extracted from adipose tissue. A solution that could benefit all those who suffer from rupture of ligaments or fissure of the intervertebral disc.

The bio-printing technology is developing rapidly and with it an interesting use of the technology in the medical sector is emerging. Even if it is still in its infancy, it allows for advances in the creation of customised cell structures. Including such as liver tissue or even organs. We recently met up with the startup BIOLIFE4D, which hopes to bio-print the first functional human hearts and thus solve the problem of the lack of organ donors today. In the United States, engineers based in Utah have been studying the design of tendons and ligaments. Focused on facilitating the care of people who have been injured.

Bio-printing ligaments and tendons

Currently, people who have torn a ligament or tendon can have it replaced by removing it from another part of the body or a corpse. But most of the time, they are of poor quality; this is where bio-printing can make a difference. Robby Bowles, professor of biomedical engineering, explains, “This will allow patients to receive replacement tissues without additional surgeries and without having to harvest tissue from other sites, which has its own source of problems,“