Next step for 3D printing: Implants for sports injuries and replicating organs for cancer patients

New function: 3D printers now have medical applications. - Filepic

It has happened! 3D-printing has moved from novelty technology to potentially be the answer to health and sports needs.

An idea that once seemed absurd is now looking entirely possible, for researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have managed to successfully implant 3D-printed cartilage in sheep. Specifically, they replaced the meniscus, which is a piece of C-shaped cartilage, the tearing of which is one of the most common knee injuries, according to the Mayo Clinic.