LaunchPad Medical in, conjunction with Stryker, has just gotten approval for use of its resorbable bone glue-Tetranite. As the material dissolves, it is replaced by native bone. Laboratory and animal studies have shown it to harden in minutes-even in wet environments for bone to bone and bone to metal bonding. An oral surgery clinic in Florida has just been given a grant to test around immediately placed dental implants. This will be the first human study.
The implications of this are huge. Current fracture repair, hardware fixation, and bone grafting may become things of the past. After 10 minutes of hardening, Tetranite can withstand 300 pounds of pressure on two pieces of cow femur bonded together. Check out this video by LaunchPad Medical for reference:
Tetranite was developed based on how sea creatures bond to metal, rocks, and wood. It is a combination of calcium and amino acids, similar to what is found in bone.
