Bone Scaffolds

Marissa Reitsma

7/30/08

Bone Scaffolds

Bone scaffolds can be used to temporarily create a bridge between two bones after they have been crushed from a trauma or have been surgically removed because of cancer. The scaffold creates a structure onto which bone producing cells can attach. Once the cells have repaired the bone, the scaffold can dissolve away, leaving no lasting implant. The process of removing bone grafts is very painful, and many patients report that the procedure is actually more painful than the sensation felt by the actual damage. Another problem in using bone grafts is that the patient does not usually have enough bone to be transplanted. Bone scaffolds allow the natural bone to heal, and the coating on the scaffold, hydroxyapatite, actually encourages bone growth. Hydroxyapatite is a major component of bones and teeth and is already used to make and coat artificial bones since it is biocompatible. The scaffold is made up of minute honeycomb structures that provide a lot of surface area for the osteoblasts to work. The bone scaffold could also potentially hold and deliver medication to the damaged area, but this mechanism is still in the early trial stages. Bone scaffolds can eliminate the need for painful bone grafts and long term metal implants. 

http://www.acfnewsource.org/science/bone_scaffold.html

http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/cb/Volume/2007/1/Bone-buildingscaffold.asp