Breakthroughs in the Treatment of Broken Bones

Bone fractures are common injuries in motor vehicle collisions, construction accidents, and falls. For injured victims, there is an innovative treatment being developed that may enable faster recovery from bone fractures in the future.

Researchers at the Georgia Regenerative Bioscience Center (RBC) have discovered a fracture treatment method they call fracture putty, which may allow for significantly shorter healing times. The key to healing a fracture is bone generation. To start this process, the researchers took adult stem cells that produce a protein involved in bone healing and generation and incorporated them into a gel. The result was the substance called fracture putty.

So far, the technique has been used successfully in rats. Two weeks after the putty treatment, the rats were seen running around with no evidence of injury. Of course, more work is necessary to get to human medical trials. The next step for researchers is showing that the treatment is effective in large animals. Other groups are developing techniques for faster healing of broken bones, using polymers and engineering approaches like implants and replacements. These treatments eventually may be combined with the fracture putty approach.

If successful in humans, fracture putty could revolutionize treatment of broken bones and patient recovery. Being encased in a cast or confined to a bed for three to six months after an injury can take a toll on a patient’s mental and physical health. Fracture putty could allow an injured person to be up and moving just days after an injury.

If you have suffered any type of serious personal injury, including bone fractures, contact an experienced New York personal injury attorney who can provide diligent and effective representation to obtain the compensation you deserve.