UCF Researchers Create Bioabsorbable Implants for Better Bone Healing
When children break a bone, the traditional process of inserting metal implants, only to remove them once the bone is healed, can be difficult, stressful and even harmful to their still-growing bodies. UCF biomedical engineer Mehdi Razavi believes there is a better way to heal bone damage.
By using bioabsorbable magnesium composites, Razavi’s team is developing screws, pins, rods and other medical implants that dissolve within the body, eliminating the need to remove them.
Razavi says his magnesium composite is also infused with nanoparticles that are absorbed into the tissue as the implant dissolves. The nanoparticles help regenerate new bone, making the healing process quicker.
“However, magnesium has mechanical properties very similar to bone, already exists in the body, and promotes bone formation, making it an ideal option,” he says.
The team is also looking at how the magnesium composite could be developed for applications beyond medicine and has received funding from the U.S.National Science Foundation to improve the material’s properties and create possible applications for the aerospace, automotive and sports industries.
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