Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine have pioneered an approach to replace damaged cartilage, combining two low-cost techniques.

That's right. We have the ability to 3-D print human cartilage.

The research team's breakthrough mixes electrospinning, a method of creating synthetic, polymer-based nanoscale-fibrous materials used for implants and wound dressing, with medical inkjet printing, also called bioprinting, currently used to create tissues and organs. Each method is a viable medical process, but with shortcomings: Electrospun materials typically don't have the ability to promote cellular growth, nor do they have the flexibility needed for cartilage replacement. And inkjet printed materials lacks the structure and strength needed to support the loads that cartilage carries.

As detailed in the medical journal Biofabrication, the Wake Forest researchers theorized that merging the two systems together could solve these problems. Their hybrid approach alternates microscopic layers of electrospun fiber and printed, living cartilage cells cultivated from rabbit ears, generating an artificial cartilage pad that is suitable for implanting. An eight-week study in mice showed that the implanted pads developed cellular structure similar to natural cartilage, while separate mechanical strength tests demonstrated that it was equivalent to natural cartilage.

The development has a lot of potential for the medical field. Injured natural cartilage is slow and difficult to heal, and has almost no ability to regrow itself. Currently, surgeons treat cartilage damage caused from injury or disease with techniques that remove small pieces of torn tissue or create microscopic grafts (such as arthroscopic and microfracture surgeries), in hopes to minimize the pain and restriction. But as of yet, they have been unable to fully regenerate the cushioning, lubricating tissue that keeps joints moving freely and bones from wearing against each other. As a result, degenerative cartilage conditions can eventually result in joint replacement surgery.

This new procedure may effectively eradicate these invasive procedures and spell relief for countless people who suffer from cartilage conditions. The researchers even suggest the ability to use MRI scans as precise guides for printing implants tailored to the patient's body.

Research is still in early stages, but if the initial results continue to be demonstrated, a faster, cheaper solution to joint injuries could be coming to human subjects soon.