Shimane University and Nano Corp (Japan) have successfully collaborated to apply a new technique for treating bone fractures using screws primarily made from the patient’s own bone.
This technique is particularly applicable for small joint fractures, such as those in the wrist.
Doctors will take a small piece of bone, approximately the size of a pea, from the patient and transform it into a screw with a diameter ranging from 1 to 5 mm.
This screw is used to connect the fractured bone pieces and becomes a part of them, thanks to the bone-forming properties of the proteins found in bone.
This approach will significantly reduce surgical costs compared to traditional metal screws (around $870 per procedure), as patients typically undergo two surgeries: one for insertion and another for removal.
The new technique is expected to alleviate the patient’s pain during the recovery process.
