Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Bone screws made of--bone!

Since the 19th century, surgeons have been using metal screws and plates to hold broken bones until they could fuse and heal.

However, titanium or steel screws can cause problems--such as infections--and sometimes need to be removed, meaning a second operation.

Now, engineers at the Graz University of Technology have teamed up with a startup called Surgebright to make these screws of human bone.

Called Shark Screws, these are made from donated bone--typed to match the recipient to prevent rejection.

A year after surgery, they don't even show up on x-ray--they are part of the patient's bone.

Surgebright was created in 2016 with the German Institute of Tissue and Cell Replacement.

Other surgical innovations to watch for? Tissue scaffolds and a smart needle to be used in brain surgery.

Can you think of others?

For more info, go to http:/www.tugraz.at,