Scientists Develop 'Glue Gun' That 3D Prints Bone Grafts Directly Onto Fractures

"Researchers have modified a standard glue gun to 3D print a bone-like material directly onto fractures," reports LiveScience, "paving the way for its use in operating rooms."The device, which has so far been tested in rabbits, would be particularly useful for fixing irregularly shaped fractures during surgery, the researchers say. "To my knowledge, there are virtually no previous examples of applying the technology directly as a bone substitute," study co-author Jung Seung Lee, a biomedical engineer at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, told Live Science in an email. "This makes the approach quite unique and sets it apart from conventional methods....""Further studies in larger animal models are needed before the technology can be used on humans," the article points out. Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader fahrbot-bot for sharing the article.

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