Regenerating implants
Scientists have developed cement for bone healing
German scientists have created a cement based on calcium phosphate for bonding bones and making implants, which has the property of self-healing. The results of the study are published in the journal Scientific Reports (Boehm et al., Self-healing capacity of fiber-reinforced calcium phosphate cements).
The human body is able to treat many injuries and wounds on its own, but with complex bone injuries, surgical intervention is necessary. In such cases, doctors use materials that partially or completely restore the shape and function of the bone at the site of injury.
Scientists from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Würzburg, have developed a bone replacement material based on calcium phosphate reinforced with carbon fibers.
The fibers increase resistance to damage, and also provide self–healing - cracks in the material are tightened independently. Due to this important quality, implants made of new material do not need to be repaired or replaced, which usually requires invasive intervention.
Calcium phosphate cement has been used in medicine for a long time and has proven itself well. The material stimulates the formation of bones and ensures the ingrowth of blood vessels. In addition, it can be injected into the body in the form of a paste with a minimally invasive procedure – plasticity allows it to closely bind to the bone structure.
"However, due to the high brittleness, cracks form in the material when it is subjected to excessive load. These cracks can rapidly expand, destabilize the implant and eventually destroy it, – the words of the head of the study, Professor Frank A. Müller, are quoted in a press release from the University of Jena. "For this reason, calcium phosphate cement has so far been used mainly on bones that do not play a supporting role in the skeleton, for example, in the face and jaws."
The authors have developed a cement in which the cracks overgrow themselves. The innovation lies in the use of carbon fibers.
"Firstly, these fibers significantly increase the resistance of cement to damage, because they bind the edges of cracks as they form and thus prevent further opening," explains Muller. – Secondly, we chemically activated the surface of the fibers. This means that as soon as the exposed fibers come into contact with the body fluid that collects in the cavities formed by cracks, the mineralization process begins. The resulting apatite–the fundamental building block of bone tissue–closes the crack again."
The experimental results confirmed the ability of the new material to withstand high loads and self-repair. The authors are confident that the cement they have created will be widely used in the production of bone implants, including for replacing the supporting elements of the skeleton.
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