Bone Research That Grows On You

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Bone Research That Grows On You

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061031185333.htm

Rapid and guided healing of bones has moved a step closer with

research by two biomedical engineering students who have found new

ways to deliver bone growth enhancers directly to broken or weakened

bones.

Major ongoing research at Queensland University of Technology

focuses on biodegradable materials that carry bone growth enhancing

substances to encourage bones to heal quickly with much less

intervention.

The research is ultimately aimed at repairing fractured bones or

replacing bone weakened or lost from osteoporosis, cancer or trauma

with minimal intervention and without painful and expensive bone

grafts or pins and plates.

Fourth year biomedical engineering student Wayne Shaw has developed

tiny biodegradable spheres made from polymers that can be loaded

with calcium phosphate compounds - known bone growth facilitators -

and placed on bone defects.

" As the microspheres degrade the calcium phosphate compounds are

absorbed and encourage the bone to grow quickly into the area and

build new bone, " Mr Shaw said.

" The microspheres, which are highly porous, range in size from 50 to

500 microns and have calcium phosphate abundantly deposited

throughout the pores, can be used in a variety of ways.

" They could be used to fill bone defects or cavities, to coat load

bearing implants, and to make scaffolds for the regeneration of

bone. "

Mr Shaw won joint best exhibit in the National 2006 Engineering and

Physical Sciences in Medicine conference at Noosa in September.

Fellow fourth year biomedical engineering student Achi Kushnir has

developed a load bearing ceramic material capable of carrying the

same bone growth enhancing chemicals and of being absorbed by the

body.

Mr Kushnir has integrated a dense ceramic core with a porous ceramic

layer that can be used in place of metal implants for some clinical

situations because it will attach to and integrate with bone and

eventually degrade away.

" The dense core has high compressive strength for load-bearing

applications such as for the long bones of the legs or arms, " Mr

Kushnir said.

" The unique core structure of the material will provide the

mechanical properties needed for load-bearing bones and the outside

porous layer will assist with the bone repair. "

" Bioactive ceramics are known to be body-friendly but until now they

have been limited by lack of mechanical properties including

compressive strength for carrying loads. "

The students' work was supervised by Associate Professor Simon X.

Miao who said their findings had advanced the search for simple,

cost effective, and minimally invasive methods of healing bones.

This bone research has been supported by the Medical Device Domain

of QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation led by

Professor Mark Pearcy.