Scientists Turn Wood Into Bone

Bob the Super Hamster writes "The BBC is reporting that scientists in Italy have developed a method to convert rattan wood into a bone-like substance. The bone replacement is currently being tested in sheep, where, when inserted into the area of a fracture, it joins with the existing bone and eventually fuses. Unlike other bone replacements, this one actually has load-bearing ability and also naturally fuses with the existing bone. Additionally, since it is porous like real bone, nerves and blood vessels can pass through it."

Comments

Ninja pirates.

[Xoltri]

Now we will have pirates with non obvious wooden legs. I will call them Ninja Pirates. I wonder how this will affect global warming.

Dupezilla strike again.

[sadness203]

http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/08/10/1840220/Scientists-Create-Artificial-Bones-From-Wood

Same editor.

Re:Dupezilla strike again.

[phantomfive]

Oh, what are you complaining about?

When an artificial hip, or other load-bearing bone implant, has a higher modulus than bone (and they invariably do), they cause the load to be transmitted unevenly to the bone. The artificial hip is on a pin that goes down into the marrow on the top of the femur. In natural loading, each segment of bone (taken from top to bottom) is loaded equally in compression. With an artificial hip implanted, some of the force is transmitted directly to a deeper part of the femur. The top of the bone is loaded less heavily than it would have been under natural circumstances.

There. I've just become automatically plus five insightful, thanks to this guy. Free karma, THAT is how you do it.

Pirate Technology has come a long way

[decipher_saint]

Pirate Technology has come a long way since the peg leg.

Wood vs Bone

[mooingyak]

I always thought that wood and bone pretty much referred to the same thing.

Re:Wood vs Bone

[betterunixthanunix]

"Boned" != "Wooded"

Re:Wood vs Bone

[mooingyak]

"Boned" != "Wooded"

True enough, but in order for someone to be boned, the bone goes where it's wooded.

Re:Pfeh

[ArsonSmith]

are you doing trials in sheep?

"You said 'wood'."

[ClioCJS]

Huh uhuhuhuhuhu huu huh huh huh huh huh huh huhuhuh huh.... You said "wood".

Yeah.. Heh heh M heh he.... And then you said "bone". Hehehehehehemehh.