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Video Of Injured Sea Turtle's 3D Printed Jaw After Collision With Boat Goes Viral

SAN BRUNO (CBS SF) -- Video of an injured sea turtle getting a second chance at life thanks to a 3D printed titanium jaw is racking up thousands of views on YouTube.

The 100-pound loggerhead turtle named Akut-3 was hurt in a collision with a boat, and brought to the Sea Turtle Research Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Dalyan, Turkey, IFLScience reported.

Researchers at the center decided that the turtle would need specially made plates to replace the injured jaw pieces lost in the accident.  They contacted a Turkish company to design the prosthetic, made of medical-grade titanium.

The researchers are waiting to see if Akut-3's body rejects the prosthetic and if it doesn't, he will be released back into the sea.

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