By Benedict Scientists in China have used 3D printing to grow new ears for five children born with an ear defect called microtia. Scientists in China have created and grown new ears for children born with microtia, a defect that leaves the outer ear unformed or absent, using 3D printing. The researchers from Beijing Normal University (BNU) used an innovative method to create artificial ears, which are made of silicone gel and can be implanted into children. The study was highly successful in three of the patients. The team said the procedure still had limitations and was expensive, but believed their work could become a routine procedure eventually.
Scientists in China have created and grown new ears for children born with microtia, a defect that leaves the outer ear unformed or absent, using 3D printing. The researchers from Beijing Normal University (BNU) used an innovative method to create artificial ears, which are made of silicone gel and can be implanted into children. The study was highly successful in three of the patients. The team said the procedure still had limitations and was expensive, but believed their work could become a routine procedure eventually.