Bones fractured in a (skiing) accident often mend without medical intervention. However, when a break is especially severe, or a bone tumor must be surgically removed, doctors may place an implant to stabilize the area and help the bone knit back together.

These implants are commonly made from the patient’s own bone, referred to as autografts, or from metal or ceramic materials. One major limitation of many current treatments is that harvesting autografts requires a second surgical procedure. Metal implants also present challenges. Because they are typically much stiffer than natural bone, they can loosen over time and reduce long-term stability.

Taking biology into account
Bone is not simply a hard, lifeless structure. It is a living organ filled with an intricate system of tiny channels and hollow spaces.

“For proper healing, it is vital that biology is incorporated into the repair process,” says Xiao-Hua Qin, Professor of Biomaterials Engineering at ETH Zurich. For healing to succeed, different types of cells must first move into the implant and establish themselves there before new bone tissue can form.

With this in mind, Qin and his team, working alongside ETH Professor Ralph Müller, developed a new type of hydrogel designed for future implant use. The material has a soft, jelly-like consistency and slowly dissolves inside the body. It could potentially be customized for individual patients