Breakthrough: Bone Graft Grown in Exact Shape of Complex Skull-Jaw Joint
Monday, October 5, 2009 - 16:14
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Bones often come in complex, delicate shapes, making it hard to find matching natural replacements for them in patients suffering from injuries, diseases or birth defects. Now researchers have grown bone grafts in the exact shape of a desired bone, an advance that could help provide doctors with just what they need for face , skull and other skeletal reconstructions. Although missing bone can be replaced by titanium , "there is no better substitute for lost tissue than living tissue," bioengineer Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic at Columbia University explains. "Although titanium is better than nothing--you need something to help bear loads--real bones also have bone marrow inside that has many important metabolic functions." [More]