Festkörperchemie und Chirurgie

▪ Abstract The term bone refers to a family of materials, all of which are built up of mineralized collagen fibrils. They have highly complex structures, described in terms of up to 7 hierarchical levels of organization. These materials have evolved to fulfill a variety of mechanical functions, for which the structures are presumably fine-tuned. Matching structure to function is a challenge. Here we review the structure-mechanical relations at each of the hierarchical levels of organization, highlighting wherever possible both underlying strategies and gaps in our knowledge. The insights gained from the study of these fascinating materials are not only important biologically, but may well provide novel ideas that can be applied to the design of synthetic materials. Show more

A process has been developed for the in situ formation of the mineral phase of bone. Inorganic calcium and phosphate sources are combined to form a paste that is surgically implanted by injection. Under physiological conditions, the material hardens in minutes concurrent with the formation of dahllite. After 12 hours, dahllite formation was nearly complete, and an ultimate compressive strength of 55 megapascals was achieved. The composition and crystal morphology of the dahllite formed are similar to those of bone. Animal studies provide evidence that the material is remodeled in vivo. A novel approach to skeletal repair is being tested in human trials for various applications; in one of the trials the new biomaterial is being percutaneously placed into acute fractures. After hardening, it serves as internal fixation to maintain proper alignment while healing occurs. Show more