3D Printed Silicone Meniscus Implants: Influence of the 3D Printing Process on Properties of Silicone Implants.

ABSTRACT: Osteoarthritis of the knee with meniscal pathologies is a severe meniscal pathology suffered by the aging population worldwide. However, conventional meniscal substitutes are not 3D-printable and lack the customizability of 3D printed implants and are not mechanically robust enough for human implantation. Similarly, 3D printed hydrogel scaffolds suffer from drawbacks of being mechanically weak and as a result patients are unable to execute immediate post-surgical weight-bearing ambulation and rehabilitation. To solve this problem, we have developed a 3D silicone meniscus implant which is (1) cytocompatible, (2) resistant to cyclic loading and mechanically similar to native meniscus, and (3) directly 3D printable. The main focus of this study is to determine whether the purity, composition,

SUBMITTER: Luis E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7570003 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature