TOPIC
Every day, more and more people require a new organ. Whether it’s a new lung, heart, kidney, liver, brain or any of the other myriad of minor organs, anyone could need one due to an injury or disease. There is, however, a solution for people in need of an organ. Patients in need of an organ are placed on a wait list for an available organ provided my donors. “Unlike relatively simple tissues such as bones and skin, to give a heart, the donor must be declared brain dead and the family must consent” (Morber). This may sound like the problem is solved. This is far from correct. In fact, 22 people die per day because of the shortage of organs (The Need is Real: Data). Moreover, the gap is only growing. Every ten minutes, a patient is added …show more content…
One place where artificial tissues or organs could make a difference is in arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that nearly 53 million individuals across the United States have a form of arthritis (Frequently Asked Questions). This number is expected to grow. Arthritis is a disease, inflammation, injury, or wear and tear in joints. Some forms of arthritis are caused by the wear and tear of cartilage, causing the bone to be exposed, causing pain (Frequently Asked Questions). Currently, there is no good solution for this type of arthritis. Knee replacements can have very long recovery times, and can be unreliable, and be non-living materials. Recovery times can range from a few days to weeks depending on how fast the patient gets better through therapy. (Mayo Clinic Staff, Knee Replacement and Cluett). I believe the technology used to print other body parts could be used for arthritis. There is not yet anyone that is developing cartilage for joints. Currently, the only development in cartilages is in the ears, nose, and similar body parts. The cartilage in our joints, known as articular cartilage is different from the cartilages found in our ears and noses. Articular cartilage is meant to provide a smooth lubricated surface for movement with minimal friction and provide a type of shock absorber to prevent our bones from breaking. This type of cartilage has extremely limited abilities to repair itself. The cartilage also has no blood vessels, nerves, or lymphatics, making it different from other cartilages (Fox, et al.). Other donated or cartilage taken from the patient’s body cannot be used for various reasons, such as cartilage from other parts of the body not being strong enough, or cartilage donated by others can only be placed in minimally damaged areas. Another problem is that just placing cartilage in the joint doesn’t create the pathways it
Every day, more and more people require a new organ. Whether it’s a new lung, heart, kidney, liver, brain or any of the other myriad of minor organs, anyone could need one due to an injury or disease. There is, however, a solution for people in need of an organ. Patients in need of an organ are placed on a wait list for an available organ provided my donors. “Unlike relatively simple tissues such as bones and skin, to give a heart, the donor must be declared brain dead and the family must consent” (Morber). This may sound like the problem is solved. This is far from correct. In fact, 22 people die per day because of the shortage of organs (The Need is Real: Data). Moreover, the gap is only growing. Every ten minutes, a patient is added …show more content…
One place where artificial tissues or organs could make a difference is in arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that nearly 53 million individuals across the United States have a form of arthritis (Frequently Asked Questions). This number is expected to grow. Arthritis is a disease, inflammation, injury, or wear and tear in joints. Some forms of arthritis are caused by the wear and tear of cartilage, causing the bone to be exposed, causing pain (Frequently Asked Questions). Currently, there is no good solution for this type of arthritis. Knee replacements can have very long recovery times, and can be unreliable, and be non-living materials. Recovery times can range from a few days to weeks depending on how fast the patient gets better through therapy. (Mayo Clinic Staff, Knee Replacement and Cluett). I believe the technology used to print other body parts could be used for arthritis. There is not yet anyone that is developing cartilage for joints. Currently, the only development in cartilages is in the ears, nose, and similar body parts. The cartilage in our joints, known as articular cartilage is different from the cartilages found in our ears and noses. Articular cartilage is meant to provide a smooth lubricated surface for movement with minimal friction and provide a type of shock absorber to prevent our bones from breaking. This type of cartilage has extremely limited abilities to repair itself. The cartilage also has no blood vessels, nerves, or lymphatics, making it different from other cartilages (Fox, et al.). Other donated or cartilage taken from the patient’s body cannot be used for various reasons, such as cartilage from other parts of the body not being strong enough, or cartilage donated by others can only be placed in minimally damaged areas. Another problem is that just placing cartilage in the joint doesn’t create the pathways it