University of Idaho researchers have found a new way to grow
bone on orthopedic implants. The discovery could lead to more
durable and better-performing prosthetics and other orthopedic
devices used in animals and humans. Physics graduate student
Jamie Hass has developed a biofriendly, coated nanospring – a
minuscule silicon dioxide-based structure that resembles a
coiled phone cord – that clings to a prosthetic’s metal surface
and stimulates, like collagen, bone cell growth in and around an
artificial orthopedic device. “The nanosprings act as
scaffolding for bone construction,” explains Hass, who is also a
practicing veterinarian. “Think of the nanosprings as the rebar
in a reinforced concrete wall. With this support structure in
place, the bone cells can fill in, like cement, and form bone on
the prosthesis.” This process results in a stronger bond between
the existing living bone and the implant. Preliminary studies
also suggest that the technology could accelerate healing of the
bone by as much as a 33 p