Woman’s ear rebuilt with 3D-printed living tissue implant

According to reports, a woman has had her ear reconstructed using a 3D-printed living tissue implant.

Microtia is a rare congenital condition in which one or both ears are missing.

The transplant took place in the US in March on a Mexican woman who was born with a small ear.

In-depth details of the implant and procedure were not available for immediate review.

The implant was made using a 3D-printed scaffold with the patient's own cells. The press release states that the construct is printed in a size and shape that matches the patient's ear.

According to the company, the results of the trial will be published in a medical journal.

The surgeon who performed the procedure said that he was inspired by what this technology may mean for microtia patients and their families. We will be able to investigate the safety and aesthetic properties of this new procedure for ear reconstruction using the patient's own cells.

Bonilla said the approach could replace current techniques for reconstruction of the outer ear that involve taking cartilage from patients' ribs, a more intrusive procedure, or using porous polyethylene implants, with ears reconstructed using the new implant thought to be more flexible.

While long-term follow-up of those receiving the implants is needed, the real-world application of the technology is a truly historic moment. He hoped the trial could have a bigger impact.

He said that the initial indications were for treating complex nose defects and spine problems. We look forward to using our platform to solve unmet medical needs like lumpectomy reconstruction.

Prof Anthony Atala, the director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in the US, who was not involved in the research, said that the sound is funneled into the middle and inner ear.

Tissue engineered ears, made with the patient's own cells, have been used before in humans. There is an implant made from cells cultured on a scaffold.

This is an important advancement for the field. 3D printing aims to provide a number of advantages over handmade engineered tissues.

Adam Perriman is a professor of bioengineering at the University of Bristol. He said that it is easier to bioprint the ear than it is to print more complex tissues. There aren't many examples of tissue engineered products or procedures.