For a certain generation, the following quotation captures a time and place – and a technological (if then-fanciful) promise – precisely: “Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.”
Swap out “bionic” for “biologic,” and you get the following:
Discuss – from any perspective you like (economic, IP/innovation (much of the relevant research in this area is patented), distributive justice, ethics). Just to complicate the story a bit, note that an enormous amount of the funding behind the research that is highlighted here comes from the Defense Department. Basic training is a huge source of traumatic knee injuries.
In full disclosure, I have a couple of personal interests here. I have one bionic knee, and two arthritic knees; the speaker, Dr. Kevin Stone (bio here) is my surgeon, and I think very highly of him as a physician.
Also, he’s the guy behind Joint Juice.