3D printing raises ethical issues in medicine

 This article talks about how 3D printing is giving doctors the potential to improve medical treatments and procedures for condition such as bone cancer, arthritis, glaucoma and hearing loss. With this new medical ability there comes many ethical issues that arise. The three issues they list are justice in access to health care, testing for safety and efficacy, and whether these technologies should be used to enhance the capacity of individuals beyond what is 'normal' for humans. This technology is doing something for the good of patients, yet is under attack for being unethical.

3D bio-printing allows orthopaedic surgeons to print artificial bone from a scan of the patient. This allows for the surgeons to print exactly the right size and shape to fit that particular patient. This means that treatments are meant to be tailored for each individual patient. This technology has been used to create skull implants and a titanium heel for a patient with cancer.

This article mentions that in the future, 3D printing technologies may be used together with advances in stem cell research to print living bone cells from patients' own cells or functioning organs for transplant. However, 3D bio-printing will continue to raise many ethical questions as the technology advances.


References:
Dodds, S. (2015, February). 3D printing raises ethical issues in medicine. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/02/11/4161675.htm