Cartilage

Bud-style earphones can be uncomfortable for some mobile music lovers, but there are plenty of over-ear, open-ear and bone conduction designs to rock with instead. Audio-Technica offers another option that ditches the bones and aims for cartilage instead.

The University of Alberta has developed a new technique for 3D printing cartilage in custom shapes. This can be used to repair the noses of skin cancer patients, saving them the trouble of having cartilage samples taken from other parts of the body.

As anyone with arthritis will know, cartilage plays a vital role in allowing our joints to move freely. Scientists have now replicated its qualities in a synthetic self-lubricating material, that only needs occasional infusions of water.

Cartilage plays a crucial role in your knees, but unfortunately once it’s damaged or worn out it’s hard to repair. Now, researchers at Duke University have created a new hydrogel that’s strong enough to withstand forces as well as natural cartilage.

The BioPen is a handheld device designed to let surgeons "draw" live cells and growth factors directly onto the site of an injury to help accelerate the regeneration of functional bone and cartilage.