University of Waterloo developing 3D-printed bones to improve outcomes for cancer patients [Video]

Synthetic bone that essentially dissolves as real bone grows.

It’s an idea that could dramatically improve the quality of life for cancer and trauma patients, and thanks to a team at the University of Waterloo, it could soon be a reality.

Thomas Willett, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at UW, got the idea while working at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

“I worked with orthopedic surgeons there, and I became exposed to this problem of large defects that don’t heal by themselves,” he said.

A simple bone break can mend itself, but for bone cancer or trauma patients who are in need of an entire new bone or bone graft, it’s more complicated.

Which is why Willett and his team have developed a very specific substance that can be 3D-printed to meet specific needs.

“One advantage is that our material doesn’t contain any cellular material, so we’re not going to have a rejection, like you would have with …