Telegraph: A new technique has been developed to help children born with severe facial deformities. It involves the creation of an ear implant through the use of 3D printing. Rather than taking cartilage from other parts of the body, as has been done in the past, scientists show how the undamaged ear can be scanned and a mirror copy created using a spongy plastic. The new ear is then implanted under a flap of the patient’s skin for 4–8 weeks, during which time the skin grows over it and blood vessels develop. At that point, it can be detached and put in place. The process also reduces the number of operations that used to be required. Trials are set to begin in India and the UK by next year.
