UCF researcher invents new implant for repairing child fractures

Author: Amy Oshier Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
Orthopedic cast on a person’s arm. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A University of Central Florida researcher has come up with a new way to fix children’s fractures in surgery with a unique material.

Broken bones or fractures are common in childhood, with up to 40% of girls and as many as 50% of boys suffering a fracture.

Traditional surgery to repair fractures involves implanting metal into the bone, and another surgery is required to remove the implants after the bone heals.

“We think that there is a better way that you can heal bone damages using bioabsorbable implants, that you can implant them into the bone defect and they get degraded over time,” said Dr. Mehdi Razavi, an assistant professor of medicine at UCF.

The implants are made of a magnesium composite and infused with nanoparticles that help regenerate new bone, making the healing process quicker, too.

Razavi said the adoption of the new implant would be a win-win for hospitals and their smaller patients.

“It can be a significant improvement for patients, improving quality of life of the patient, saving healthcare cost,” Razavi said

The only risk of the new implant being made of magnesium is the biodegradation rate, which is high. According to Razavi, it could result in the production of hydrogen bubbles, which could have damaging effects on the surrounding muscle tissue.

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