Objective: To enable an artificial mandible substitute to be mostly suitable for mandibular reconstructon in individual patients. Methods: Use rapid prototypinlg and surface imitating as the primary technology for individualized design and manufacturing of the artificial mandible substitute. Results: An individualized artificial mandible substitute was designed and prepared. Conclusion: Rapid prototyping is feasible in individualized bone substitute preparation.

Objective Due to the problem of individual matching, exclusivity and loose with pure mechanical fixation for artificial hemi-knee joints made by traditional method, a new manufacturing process based on rapid prototyping technique and custom-made concept is presented.MethodsRapid prototyping was processed to rapidly and accurately shape the prototype of an artificial implant almost with the same shape as the hemi-knee joint of the patient, and the process based on Titanium alloy centrifugal casting technology and biomaterial sintering molding technology was used to fabricate the artificial hemi-knee joint and bioactive proximal tibia artificial bone, respectively.Results and ConclusionThe custom-made knee joint prosthesis has been fabricated and put into clinical use successfully. In comparison with the traditional implants, this system can realize the well matching movement between the artificial hemi-knee joint and its opposite. Meanwhile,the design of functional holes and tibial nails realizes the combination of biological fixation with mechanical fixation for the artificial implant,and the use of bioactive artificial bone promotes bone growth and minimizes the exclusive reaction.

Objective In the prosthetic socket design process, the high cost and radiation deficiency caused by CT scanning which is a routine way to obtain the cross section image of the residual limb remain problems. Ultrasonic measuring approach is proposed to gain the bones and skin contour of the residual limb. MethodsAn ultrasonic measuring device to get the multiple ultrasonic images of the residual limb was developed firstly, a compound algorithm to reconstruct the multiple images into 2D image was designed, and then the feature extraction on the bones and skin was made. Results Conclusion Comparing with the like-kind cross sectional scanning technique, the ultrasonic measuring method has the characteristic of no radiation and low cost.

It is the critical technology for bone tissue engineering to fabricate scaffolds, especially to fabricate the internal microchannel of scaffolds. Utilizing stereolithography rapid prototyping indirect fabrication approach, suitable size microchannel structure scaffolds with orientation, branching, and interconnectivity under control was manufactured. Observation under light microscope showed that the arrange of microchannel size was 200-600 microm, the orientation and branching were accorded with designed structure, and all the microchannels were completely interconnected. Scaffolds seeded with osteoblast cells were put into 6-well plate and rotating 3D dynamic culture system which was developed in our lab. The morphology of osteoblasts and the development on the surface and internal microchannel of scaffolds were observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicated that the dynamic culture permited an even distribution of cells across the surface of scaffolds, besides, a few cells grew into the lumen of microchannels.
Animals ; Bone Substitutes ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cells, Cultured ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; Rabbits ; Surface Properties ; Tissue Engineering

A rotating perfusion bioreactor system has recently been developed in our laboratory to produce 3D dynamic culture condition, and the critical-sized scaffolds with interconnected microchennels were fabricated. Gas exchange occurs by semipermeable membrane covered on each side of bioreactor and gas-permeable peristaltic pump tube. Rotation and perfusion of culture media through large scaffolds enhance well mixing and mass transport of oxygen and nutrients in the bioreactor. Osteoblastic cells attached to microchennels are exposed to a low fluid flow-induced shear stress level. This bioreactor system overcomes several defects exited in static culture condition, improves the culture environment, facilitates osteoblast proliferation, differntiation, significant matrix production and mineralization, and the controllability of culture process is enhanced. Large scaffolds/osteoblast constructs were cultured in the bioreactor system for 14 days. Osteoblastic cells attached to microchannels of scaffolds were observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicated that cells grew extensively in the microchennels of large scaffolds.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Bioreactors ; Cell Culture Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Cell Differentiation ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; Rabbits ; Skull ; cytology ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds