Printed Cartilage Is Set To Transform
The cost of helping sufferers of arthritis is huge. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association over the past twenty years the number of knee replacement surgeries have increased by 161.5%. Each knee replacement procedure costs Medicare about $15,000 a year. That works out at a total annual bill for Medicare of $5 billion. It's a huge cost and it's one that will only continue to rise.. Luckily there may be a solution to this enormous problem. Scientists have recently revealed that they have successfully grown living cartilage using a 3D bio printer. This may one day enable doctors to "print" cartilage directly to the areas where it is needed most. It also presents a significant business opportunity for forward thinking entrepreneurs who may want to tap into this $5 billion a year market. How 3D Cartilage Replacement Works Dr. D'Lima, the head of orthopedic research at Scripps clinic, is the scientist responsible for the most recent innovations i