Mr Ravi Krshna Brundaranam and Dr Gerard
Poinern (right) are creating "nano-bones" from
hydroxyapatite.
Each year artificial implants, mostly made of titanium metal, are inserted into the hips and knees of more than 50,000 people Australia wide.
But researchers have now created a material that more closely mimics the structure and composition of real bone which they are calling “nano-bone”.
Scientists from Murdoch University created a new formulation of the mineral powder made of the main component of bone – a ceramic called hydroxyapatite (HAP).
The powder is created using nanotechnology, in which scientists work with sub-microscopic molecules to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.
“We know bone is made up of little rods of hydroxyapatite so we have manufactured a new version of HAP that can be shaped into any form, including current implant designs,” Murdoch nanotechnology scientist Dr Gerard Poinern said.
“Even more exciting is that it also opens the way for us to experiment with combining this nano-bone with other substances at the nanoscale to maybe increase strength or produce other novel attributes.”
President of the Australian Orthopaedic Association John Batten told the Sunday Times that the science behind creating nanohydroxyapatite was new, but it could become a great tool for orthopaedic surgeons.
“It has great potential for prosthesis, for implants and for fracture healing and other things we do to the skeleton,” he said.
To create the millions of nano-hydroxyapatite for the implants, Dr Poinern’s team worked with spheres just 37 nanometres long.
One nanometre is one millionth of a millimetre. A human hair is 80,000 nanometres wide.
The Murdoch team combined chemicals such as calcium nitrate and hydrogen phosphate, which when heated under ultrasound waves formed tiny mineral spheres.
While nanotechnology offers an infinite way to improve the world - from making space-flight more practical to improvements in medicine, food and technology – the implications of controlling matter at an atomic level is much debated.
Concerns about toxicity, environmental and health impacts as well as the effect of nanotechnologies on global economics have sparked doomsday predications.
Everyday products from car parts to sunscreens already contain nano-particles and advocacy groups such as Friends of the Earth are calling for better government regulation of the new technology.
Dr Poinern said his nano-hydroxyapatite was still a few years from being implanted in anyone.
“Part of the journey ahead is to figure out its applications and to work with partners in the medical device industry to assess what exciting new products could be manufactured,” he said.
Part of this article courtesy of Narelle Towie, The Sunday Times.
Editor's Note: This story was first published in the January 2009 edition of Murdoch University's Explore Magazine. This article is under copyright; permission must be sought from Murdoch University to reproduce it.
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