They keep saying she lost her ear but in fact she only lost her outer ear. All of her hearing mechanisms were functioning properly.
A decade or so ago they grew a human outer ear on the back of a mouse.
Still an interesting accomplishment
So does it look like an elbow?
And look what they did for Mr/Mrs Garrison of South Park!
If I understand the story correctly, without the outer structure, her ear canal had closed up (?)
This one used cartilage from her ribs and skin from her arm.
I assume they cut the artery and nerves so they could reattach them to her head, so the new “ear” continues to get blood and can sense touch just the old one.
The new ear is still you.
Seems better than having mouse cells being nourished by your blood supply, anyway.
3-D printing has had major advances in medical science and transplantation. Cornea, kidney, liver, heat and bone.
I can’t even wrap my brain around it. Need “3-D Printers for Dummies.”
From what I can tell ears were one of the first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82t84VIwlTE
South Africa seems to be on the forefront in transplant surgery. Remember Christian Bernard?