Knitting in Medical Textiles

Knitting tends to involves a higher number of individual fibres than other biomedical textile engineering techniques, which can create higher intricacy and performance capabilities in textile structures. 

3D printed artificial blood vessel.

Knitted fabrics are the most widely 
used within medical textiles and are used frequently for: 

-Surgical mesh, gloves, masks and gowns.

-Prosthesis ligaments and bones

-Hernia repair

-Gynecological slings and prolapse devices

-Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery mesh

-Artificial blood vessels

-Bandages/ Wound Applications

- Surgical hosiery
-Pressure Gloves

Knitting is commonly used for manufacture of bandages in tubular form.

The weft knitting machine is chiefly used for production of two classes of medical textiles:
-support bandages and elastic bandages. 

Since these garments are to be continuously worn, the seams need to be very strong whilst allowing for fluid body movement. 

The warp knitting machines is used to manufacture wound dressings, 

bandages and vascular grafts. These tubular structures can best be produced on circular warp knitting 

machines.  

Successfully developed artificial blood vessels and bi-furcated valves are highly innovative and are an indication of the suitability of knitted tissue scaffolds as a potential substitute of non-woven scaffolds for tissue engineering.

A slightly unnerving list of human body parts that can be created using textile materials and into the body:

-Kidney
-Blood Vessel
-Cornea

-Liver
-Pancreas
-Nervous system
-Planted Hair
-Skin

-Lung

-Heart
-Muscle
-Bones & Tendon

I honestly do find this whole thing really fascinating, as it seems amazing to me that we are capable of building and repairing organs that can then fuse to living human tissue and become fully functional. In fact, the more I think about it the more I can appreciate the intelligence of it all and the more it astounds me.

References:
-Ray SC (2012). 'Fundamentals and Advances in Knitting Technology', Woodhead Publishing Limited.
-Horrocks AR and Anand SC (2000). Handbook of Technical Textiles, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge in association with The Textile Institute, Abington.
-http://www.bmsri.com/structures-overview/
-http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/pdffiles/Nonwovens-For-Medical-Textiles.pdf

Image Sources:
-http://www.csiro.au/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/CMSE/Fibre-Science/MedicalTextiles.aspx
-http://thecoolgadgets.com/3d-printed-artifical-blood-vessels-two-photon-polymerization-and-3d-printing-technologies/