Silk Screws Show Promise for Bone Repair
It’s still early, but scientists at Tufts University say that screws made of silk hold great promise for the future of bone repair.
It’s still early, but scientists at Tufts University say that screws made of silk hold great promise for the future of bone repair.
Thus far, they’ve been a huge success in rats, and if the trend of positive results continue, before long humans may be able to benefit from them as well.
Ideally, they could someday be used in place of metal plates and fasteners in many circumstances.
That would mean no more setting off detectors or experiencing pain when cold temperatures set in.
It could also be of great benefit to overall healing, as using metal in the body has been observed to slow wound healing and assist the rapid development of infection.
In cases where permanence isn’t needed, silk is being touted as an ideal alternative to traditional materials especially since, over time, it dissolves in the body.
Said the lead researcher of the project, "The future is very exciting. We envision a whole set of orthopaedic devices for repair based on this - from plates and screws to almost any kind of device you can think of where you don't want hardware left in the body."
It’s still early, but scientists at Tufts University say that screws made of silk hold great promise for the future of bone repair.
Thus far, they’ve been a huge success in rats, and if the trend of positive results continue, before long humans may be able to benefit from them as well.
Ideally, they could someday be used in place of metal plates and fasteners in many circumstances.
That would mean no more setting off detectors or experiencing pain when cold temperatures set in.
It could also be of great benefit to overall healing, as using metal in the body has been observed to slow wound healing and assist the rapid development of infection.
In cases where permanence isn’t needed, silk is being touted as an ideal alternative to traditional materials especially since, over time, it dissolves in the body.
Said the lead researcher of the project, "The future is very exciting. We envision a whole set of orthopaedic devices for repair based on this - from plates and screws to almost any kind of device you can think of where you don't want hardware left in the body."
Category
🏖
Travel