Korean researchers make gun than can heal broken bones

Creating the glue-gun stick was extermely tricky. Representation pic

Researchers at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea are developing a technique that can create patient-specific bone implants without the high costs or delays of traditional methods.

Their "bone-healing gun" resembles a handheld 3D printer, but instead of plastic, it extrudes biodegradable polymer scaffolds directly onto broken bones during an operation. The device melts special polymer "bullets" at a safe 60 degrees Celsius, cool enough to protect surrounding tissue while forming a custom-fit framework for new bone growth.

The tool extrudes a biocompatible filament that quickly hardens into a scaffold, holding the bone in place and supporting natural healing without the cost and delay of traditional implants. The team tested several mixtures before getting it right.

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