Nanotubes to Heal Broken Bones?

Posted on September 8, 2005

Wired reports that researchers at the University of California at Riverside believe that they may be able to find a better way to heal bones using carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes, incredibly strong molecules just billionths of a meter wide, can function as scaffolds for bone regrowth, according to researchers led by Robert Haddon at the University of California at Riverside. They have found a way to create a stronger and safer frame than the artificial bone scaffolds currently in use.
Human bones are both organic and inorganic. The organic part is made of collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals. The inorganic component is hydroxyapatite, a type of calcium crystal. The collagen forms a sort of natural scaffold over which the calcium crystals organize into bone. The idea in Haddon's research is to use the nanotubes as substitutes for the collagen to promote new bone growth when bones have been broken or worn down.

The theory has not yet been tested on humans but the Wired article mentions several scientists that sound keen on the potential. James Mitchell Tour, a chemistry professor at Rice University, told Wired that nanotubes will be an important medical tool.

"Nanotubes are already a big deal in the rubber and elastomer industries," Tour said. "It's going to be a big deal in the medical industry. When we talk about enhancing rigidity in the medical field, one immediately thinks of bones. That's a good place to start."

What would be really terrific would be if they can be used to repair damage in severe spinal injuries or help people with osteoporosis.