The UCF team is developing screws, pins, rods and other medical implants that are made of magnesium and dissolve within the body, eliminating the need to remove them.
By Eric Eraso – UCF news
When children break a bone, the traditional process of inserting metal implants, only to remove them once the bone is healed, can be difficult, stressful and even harmful to their still-growing bodies. UCF biomedical engineer Mehdi Razavi believes there is a better way to heal bone damage.
By using bioabsorbable magnesium composites, Razavi’s team is developing screws, pins, rods and other medical implants that dissolve within the body, eliminating the need to remove them.
“The traditional titanium bone implants work well and have been around for a long time, but you need a second procedure to remove them, which can bring psychological issues,” he says. Inserting strong implants, like titanium, also can actually inhibit bone growth, he says, because the body’s weight is transferred to the metal — not the bone — during recovery.