Knochenimplantante from bio plastic

Everything becomes bio - now also the bone replacement. Bioactive calcium mineral and Polyhydroxybuttersäure are to replace in the future metal implants and reduce repulsion reactions and incompatibilities. In few years the bio bones could be used.

Leipzig - implants made of metal are not always stood as bone replacement by the body. An alternative “art bones” could be from a bacterially produced bio plastic, which are investigated at the translation center for renewable medicine (TRM) in Leipzig. The new material copies the natural bone in material composition, micro mechanics and surface relief very exactly, reports the TRM.

Bio bone: Climbing scaffold for new cells

A goal of the research is it to create a replacement for bones those due to a trauma, a tumor or degenerative diseases was missing, reports the material scientist Sven Henning. In addition on the one hand an bioactive calcium mineral is used, which can be settled well by cells, but is not break-proof. It is combined with and thus very sturdy the bio plastic Polyhydroxybuttersäure modified by a special procedure. It is bacterially produced.

“Our new material permitted not only the basic and properly matching replacement for missing bones, but is at the same time a climbing scaffold for new cells, which find, describe therein optimal growth conditions” to Henning the advantages of the “bio bone”. Compared with metal implants sink the risk of repulsion reactions and incompatibilities substantially. At the same time stimulate the material the new formation of bone cells.

Präklini study phase begins

As next step a präklinische study phase is planned. If the attempts should be successful, the first patients at thighs could according to data of Henning in five to eight years or lower arms of bio implants assigned get.

TRM Leipzig was created in October 2006 with the goal of developing new diagnostics and therapy forms of the renewable medicine of evaluating and of transferring into clinical application. It is one from Germany far four large research centers in the range of the renewable medicine.