This week’s featured prints are prototype discs for spinal disc replacement in goats to provide pain relief and long-term function. The prototypes allowed the interdisciplinary team of researchers to determine optimal disc sizes.  The actual discs implanted in the goats are made from biodegradable materials and living cells, demonstrating the feasibility of using engineered living tissue for disc replacement.

The research team is hopeful that this procedure can someday be performed on humans.

This ground-breaking research was published in Science Translational Medicine and has been featured in several news outlets including Penn Today, Penn Medicine News, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The Biomedical Library 3D printing service is proud to have supported this innovative research conducted by the interdisciplinary team from Penn Medicine, the School of Veterinary Medicine, and the School of Engineering & Applied Science.

Printed in ABS plastic on the Stratasys uPrint SE Plus

Learn more about the Biomedical Library’s 3D printing service which is proud to print complimentary objects and provide 3D design consultations  contributing to innovation in teaching, learning, research, and clinical care at the University of Pennsylvania.