Hip, hip, hooray for clever Otago bioengineering scientists
Plans to produce next-generation hip replacements by 3D-bioprinting bone were among many University of Otago research projects supported by more than $3.5 million in career development awards.
”It seems futuristic, but it’s also realistic,” Dr Khoon Lim, an Otago University bioengineer, said of the new approach.
He is developing a Lego-like system to 3D-bioprint bone; a solution that could one day replace the billions of dollars worth of ceramic and titanium implants required by New Zealand patients each year, including for hip replacements.