The implanted grafting material helped new bones grow in four weeks and dissolved between 6-12 months.
Anyone who has recovered from a broken bone knows these nifty appendages have a remarkable ability to repair themselves. But even bones have limits. In cases of severe fractures or defects caused by tumors, surgeons will often implant bone grafts to act as a kind of temporary scaffolding to guide the bone toward repair. These grafts have historically come from parts of the patients' own body or from a donor, which can limit their availability and increase the potential risk for surgery-related infection. Now, a UK-based scientist is attempting to modernize that approach by 3D-printing a new bone grafting material inspired by coral found in the ocean. Swansea University researcher Zhidao Xia has developed and patented a 3D-printed biomimetic material that mimics the porous structures and chemical composition of coral and implements it as a bone graft substitute. Xia, who published his findings this week in the journal Bioactive Materials implanted the material on broken mice tibias and found it helped new bones grow in just two to four weeks. The 3D-printed material naturally degrades in the animals' within 6-12 months leaving behind only healthy bones. Though the research didn't test its effect on…