Chinese researchers claim to have developed a revolutionary bone “super glue” that can fix fractures, which traditionally would take months to heal, in a matter of minutes.
Bone fractures are painful and very difficult to fix, with the recuperation period most often taking several months, but thanks to an innovative bone super glue, they can now be dealt with in minutes rather than months. Dubbed ‘Bone-02’, the bone-fixing miracle glue was reportedly developed by researchers at Zhejiang University, in Hangzhou and has already been successfully used in over 150 trial cases. According to Lin Xianfeng, an orthopedic surgeon at Hangzhou’s Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, the revolutionary adhesive comes in the form of a single injection and “glues broken bone fragments together in just three minutes.”
Photo: Unsplash
Driven by the desire to find an easier fix to orthopedic injuries that would typically require months of downtime and invasive surgeries that often include metal plate insertions, scientists in China found an unlikely inspiration in the humble oyster. Intrigued by the marine mollusk’s ability to adhere to underwater surfaces, using a bioglue that forms pressure- and erosion-resistant bonds in humid, salty, wet, and constantly moving conditions. Inspired by this natural mechanism, scientists in Hangzhou created Bone-02.
The inventors of Bone-02 presented an experimental case of a patient with a wrist fracture who received an injection through a mere 3-cm incision and was healed in just three minutes. Surgery to repair the wrist would have required a metal plate and screws, the removal of which would have required a second surgery the following year. After a three-month follow-up checkup, the patient’s fracture had healed completely without complications. This was just one of at least 150 documented cases in which Bone-02 was used successfully to treat fractures.
Apart from miraculously fixing bone fractures in a matter of minutes, Bone-02 also has the added benefit of being naturally absorbed by the human body, eliminating the need for a second surgery to remove the adhesive. This minimizes the risk of infection.
Bone-02 has already been patented both inside and outside China, but more clinical trials are needed to confirm that it is as safe and effective as its inventors claim.
