Microtia-Congenital Ear Institute
According to a recent ZME Science article, a team of doctors worked with regenerative medicine company 3DBio Therapeutics to conduct the first successful 3D-printed ear transplant. The recipient of the transplant had a condition known as microtia, which causes the underdevelopment or absence of one or both ears. Microtia is relatively rare with just 1,500 cases each year in the U.S. alone. Prior to now, the only other treatment options were grafts made of synthetic materials or ears created from tissue harvested from the patient’s ribcage.
