01/03/2013
Bone implants made of wood
Creating bone implants made of wood instead of traditional materials, such as plastics and ceramics, is both cost-effective and could help to reduce the risks of side effects.
The idea is to use bone implants made from rattan wood. Because rattan wood has flexibility, strength and density similar to bone, it could be used as a scaffold for transplanted cells to replace damaged and lost bone.
Although processing the wood to make it compatible with humans is complex, the benefits will outweigh the difficulties. In addition, wood is a low cost material when compared to metal allows, ceramics and donor bone, and it can be integrated into existing bone.
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