Joint replacement sometimes seems futuristic as we get given metal-based implants that have been formed and tested in labs, although experts are now looking to plants to create hi-tech body parts. Joints can wear out for many reasons, osteoarthritis and other bone-related conditions can impact our wellness to the point we can’t mobilise safely or well – which is when wood may come to our rescue.
Out with the old…
Bone grafting is carried out about 2.2 million times across the world on a yearly basis. The needs for these kinds of procedures may be down to wear and tear, cancer of the bone or breakages from osteoporosis, which causes thinning of our bone mineral density. Metal implants have helped many of us regain our wellbeing following these kinds of conditions, but metallic replacements have their issues. For example, they can be heavy, and they don’t have as much movement as natural tissues. All this has inspired bone experts from the Research Group on Biomaterials of ISTEC to investigate using wood as a bone replacement substance.
Why wood?
Scientists working on the study explain that wood is much more like natural tissue than metallic substances. Firstly, it is porous and the way the fibres are laid down resemble those found in bone. This makes wood very strong considering it is a lot lighter than metallic replacements. But using wood isn’t without its own set of problems. The substances contains elements that aren’t compatible with our own body chemistry, so the experts have been working on removing potential toxins and reducing the wooden implants down to their basic structure. Using heat, the scientists remove cellulose and lignin so just the carbon structure of the plant material remains. At this point, oxygen, calcium and phosphates are added to the implant so it mimics bone as much as possible. The bone grafts could prove stronger and more resilient than metal types we may currently be offered.
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