Image by Getty / Futurism Devices
Scientists in South Korea have modified a glue gun — the kind you'd use for an arts and crafts DIY project at home — to generate bone grafts and print them directly onto fractures in animals, to aid in the healing process.
As detailed in a new paper published in the journal Device, the team came up with the unusual device to skip the need for prefabricating complex bone implants. In experiments involving rabbits, the researchers created 3D-printed grafts on the fly, allowing fractured bones to heal and regrow naturally.
Within 12 weeks following surgery on rabbits with severe femoral bone fractures, the researchers found no signs of infection — and better bone regeneration compared to control rabbits, which received more traditional bone cement grafts.
Conventional metal or donor bone implants have to be custom-fitted and manufactured ahead of time, making the new solution quite a bit more straightforward and therefore much faster.
"Our proposed technology offers a distinct approach by developing an in situ printing system that enables a real-time fabrication and application of a scaffold directly at the surgical site," said coauthor and Sungkyunkwan University associate professor of biomedical engineering Jung Seung Lee in a statement about the research. "This allows for highly accurate anatomical matching even in irregular or complex defects without the need for preoperative preparation such as imaging, modeling, and trimming processes."
Instead of using the conventional hot-melt adhesive that regular glue guns use, the researchers came up with a combination of hydroxyapatite, which is a healing agent found in natural bone, and a biocompatible thermoplastic called polycaprolactone, which can liquify at temperatures below 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
By modifying the ratio of these two components, the researchers found they could adjust the hardness and strength of their 3D-printed grafts on the fly.
"Because the device is compact and manually operated, the surgeon can adjust the printing direction, angle, and depth during the procedure in real time," Lee explained.
"Also, we demonstrated that this process could be completed in a matter of minutes," he added. "This highlights a significant advantage in terms of reducing operative time and improving procedural efficiency under real surgical conditions."
The team also hopes that their approach will reduce side effects compared to conventional bone grafts, while also "limiting the development of antibiotic resistance," per Lee.
The researcher and his colleagues are now working on preclinical studies in large animal models to see whether the device could eventually make it into the operating room.
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