MISiS: Bioimplant of the auricle

2022: Presentation of personalized pinna bioimplant

A biocompatible personalized implant of the auricle for plastic surgery was developed by young scientists of NUST "MISIS." Representatives of MISiS reported this to Zdrav.Expert on June 15, 2022. It is expected that the proposed technology will speed up the engraftment of the implant and organize the production of products entirely from Russian components.

MISiS scientists 3D-printed biocompatible ear prosthesis

According to MISiS representatives, worldwide there is a trend towards an increase in the number of children with a congenital defect in the auricle. Such a defect is corrected in two ways: the so-called autologous tissues or materials of engineering structures. Both approaches have their drawbacks: in the first, a surgical notch of the costal cartilage is necessary (this is a painful and long process), in the second, fibrosis and inflammation occur as concomitant complications.

Solving these problems, graduates of the master's program iPhD "Biomaterial Science" NUST "MISIS" created a biocompatible hybrid polymer material and a model implant of the auricle based on it. The material is synthesized from two functional components: a porous 3D printed framework and an agar hydrogel as a filler "crosslinked" with ferulic acid.

Thanks to the personalized manufacture of the implant using modern additive technologies, it became possible to accurately recreate the shape and relief of the auricle. The composition of the filler allows using the patient's cellular structures: it is possible to populate the implant material with multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, which will significantly accelerate engraftment and reduce the risk of undesirable complications.

The development of the team is intended for plastic surgery and veterinary medicine. According to the authors, it solves three problems: soreness, duration and complexity of three consecutive operations for the patient. Current market analogues of the implant have a mismatch of the mechanical properties characteristic of natural cartilages; they are all produced in the United States or Europe.

"In the process of creating the implant, we investigated the mechanical properties of the native (natural) tissue, developed and manufactured a hydrogel filler composition suitable for the desired properties. In parallel, the development of a 3D model of the auricle and the manufacture of a 3D framework of the implant based on it and the study of its physical and mechanical properties were underway. At the current stage, we needed to assess the cytotoxicity of the invitro samples and develop a methodology for obtaining samples, "said Angelica-Maria Burtseva, co-author of the iPhD Biomaterialology project at NUST MISIS.

The developers plan to implement a turnkey project and bring the development to a commercial product. They analyzed the market for analogues: according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in the United States alone, in 2020, more than 53,000 operations were carried out to plastic the auricle. In Russia, according to preliminary estimates, more than 5,800 operations can be carried out per year.

The next stages of the project will be tests according to the GOST method, toxicological tests, preparation of a patent and access to preclinical tests.

See also

• Plastic surgery
• 3D printing in medicine
• Polymers in medicine

• Hearing