Bone instead of metal

Austrian surgeons fix fractures with screws made of human bones

Ksenia Malysheva, Naked Science

To fasten broken bones, surgeons use screws made of biocompatible materials – usually titanium or stainless steel. Metal screws are strong and reliable, but heavy and often interfere with patients at home, and in order to get them, you have to do a new operation. Austrian and German orthopedists and biomechanics specialists offer an organic alternative to metal screws – Shark Screw, screws made of a dense and hard middle part of the human femur.

© surgebright

Bone screws are produced by the Berlin-based startup surgebright together with the German Institute for Tissue and Cell Transplantation (DIZG). They are already used by surgeons of 14 Austrian clinics. The raw materials are the bones of people who signed documents during their lifetime authorizing the use of their tissues and organs for transplantation to other people (in Russia, such consent is not required, all citizens are considered potential posthumous donors, if the relatives of the deceased do not object). Before using the biomaterial, experts check it for compliance: strength, absence of internal cavities, epidemiological safety.

Currently, work is underway on a new screw design specifically designed for operations on leg bones and maxillofacial surgery. Both cases have their own difficulties. For operations on the upper jaw, very small screws are needed – about 2 cm long, but they must withstand significant loads, since the jaw muscles are the strongest muscles of the body (in relative numbers) and regularly exert serious pressure on the jaws. For the treatment of leg fractures, larger screws (4-6 cm) are needed, but they also have to withstand heavy loads, surgebright engineers explain.

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