VOA标准英语2014--中国医生运用3D脊柱植入物

 

Chinese Doctors Use 3-D Spinal¹ Implant 中国医生运用3D脊柱植入物

A Chinese boy suffering from a debilitating² bone disease has become the first patient with a part of his spine³ created in a three-dimensional printer. Doctors say he will soon regain⁴ normal mobility⁵.

Ewing’s sarcoma is a bone cancer that usually attacks children and young adults, causing severe pain.  It can lead to deformity and even death.

Twelve-year-old Qin’s second vertebra was so damaged by the cancer that doctors had to remove it.

But instead of replacing it with a simple titanium tube, surgeons made a computer-aided scan of the area and used special software to print a perfect replica⁶ on a 3-D printer.

Instead of plastic, this printer uses biocompatible titanium powder, which does not trigger rejection⁷.

The director of orthopedics at Beijing University, who led the surgical⁸ team, Dr. Liu Zhongjun, said 3-D printing has a huge advantage for artificial implants⁹.

“We can use iconographic tests on patients such as a CT scan, converting CT data to 3-D printing data in order to produce an internal fixation, with exactly the same structure as the patient's bone structure,” explained Dr. Liu Zhongjun.

The artificial vertebra has a honeycomb structure, which allows the new bone tissue to grow into it, and surgical screws are not needed to attach it.

Qin’s mother, Xu Minglin, said she was worried about the procedure at first.

“In the begining I was a little torn.  But in the end, I considered that 3-D has already been applied¹⁰ in the medical world, and they must be confident,” she said.

A month after his surgery, Qin is already able to stand and walk wearing a brace¹¹.  Doctors say his progress is good and that he will soon recover, although he will have to undergo additional chemotherapy to get rid of any remaining tumor¹² cells.

1 spinal   

adj.针的，尖刺的，尖刺状突起的；adj.脊骨的，脊髓的

参考例句：

• After three days in Japan,the spinal column becomes extraordinarily flexible.在日本三天，就已经使脊椎骨变得富有弹性了。
• Your spinal column is made up of 24 movable vertebrae.你的脊柱由24个活动的脊椎骨构成。

2 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。

3 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

4 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

5 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

6 replica   

n.复制品

参考例句：

• The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
• The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。

7 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

8 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

9 implants   

n.（植入身体中的）移植物( implant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters. 激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Perhaps the most far-reaching project is an initiative called Living Implants From Engineering (LIFE). 也许最具深远意义的项目，是刚刚启动的建造活体移植工程 (LIFE)。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

10 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

11 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

12 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。