Holistic cranial reconstruction by 3D bioprinting successful in rats

Researchers have developed an intraoperative bioprinting process in rat models which is able to deposit the multiple different tissue layers quickly and effectively, with further research in larger animals and humans on the horizon. The research, which was published in Advanced Functional Materials, was conducted at Pennsylvania State University (PA, USA) by an international team of engineers and surgeons led by Ibrahim Ozbolat and demonstrated a novel intraoperative bioprinting technique that repaired small holes in the skulls of rats with comparable effectiveness to current surgical techniques but with much greater speed. Surgical reconstruction of the head and face is difficult...