Treating major bone repair

Healing of critical large bone fractures is a major challenge to the orthopedic research community. The defect must both be stabilized and rapid bone formation induced to replace the missing tissue prior to infection, and allow the individual to ambulate. Some UGA animal and dairy science scientists are part of an established multidiscipline and multi-institutional group actively engaged in the tissue engineering of bone through funding from the Department of Defense. They are developing a fast bone healing process using the sheep as a model. This also addresses human and veterinary orthopedic needs. One of the most significant findings of this study was the lack of any inflammatory response to the biomaterials, within the animal, whether loaded with cells or just the material itself. This was in sharp contrast to other biomaterials routinely used such as collagen, ceramics, or mineralized materials which elicit a significant immune rejection of the material.