3D printing and 3D bioprinting technology in medicine: ethical and legal issues
V. 174 N. 1 (2023), Review
V. 174 N. 1 (2023)

3D printing and 3D bioprinting technology in medicine: ethical and legal issues: doi: 10.7417/CT.2023.2501

Review
Pubblicato 2023-01-18
M. L. Rizzo
Interdepartmental Centre for Research in the History of law and in Computer Science and Law, (CIRSFID), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
S. Turco
Department of Legal Medicine, Azienda ULSS 2 Marca Trevigiana, Italy
F. Spina
Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa (PI), Italy
A. Costantino
Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa (PI), Italy
G. Visi
Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa (PI), Italy
A. Baronti
Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa (PI), Italy
A. Maiese
Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa (PI), Italy
M. Di Paolo
Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa (PI), Italy
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Parole chiave

3D printing
3D bioprinting
additive manufacturing
ethical issues
legal issues

Abstract

There has been a surge of interest in new technologies in medicine because of their promising clinical applications. Extensive research on additive manufacturing and its applications in the medical field has been carried out with good results and very high expectations. Due to their disruptive nature and potential, 3D printing and even more 3Dbioprinting raise many ethical and safety concerns that need to be adequately addressed to provide good regulation before entering clinical practice. This article aims to highlight the general ethical concerns associated with the use of additive manufacturing in medicine and the lack of current international regulatory directives to guide these experiments. In fact, transparency about how these new medical devices are regulated and approved is a fundamental requirement to promote and improve public trust, efficiency, safety and quality.

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