Researchers have developed a wireless ultra-thin, bone-growing computer that grows with the bone. Called “osteosurface electronics”, these devices could one day help doctors monitor bone health and long-term healing.
“As a surgeon, I am most excited about using measurements collected with osteosurface electronics to provide individualized orthopedic care to my patients one day – in order to accelerate rehabilitation and maximize function after traumatic injuries,” said the co-author. principal of the study, Dr. David. Margolis, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and orthopedic surgeon at Banner – Tucson University Medical Center.
Fragility fractures associated with conditions such as osteoporosis are more days spent in hospital than heart attacks, breast cancer or prostate cancer, writes Science Daily.
Although not yet tested or approved for use in humans, this wireless bone computer could one day be used not only to monitor health but also to improve it, said study co-author Philipp Gutruf.
“It is very important to be able to monitor the health of the musculoskeletal system. With this interface, you basically have a computer on your bone. This technological platform allows us to create investigative tools for scientists to discover how the musculoskeletal system works and to use the information gathered to benefit from recovery and therapy “, added Gutruf.
Because the muscles are so close to the bones and move so often, it is important that the device be thin enough to avoid irritation to the surrounding tissue or detachment of the device, Gutruf explained.
“The thin structure of the device, about the size of a sheet of paper, means it can bend over the curvature of the bone, forming a tight interface,” said Alex Burton, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering and lead co-author of the study.
“They also don’t need a battery. This is possible using a power distribution and communication method called near field communication or NFC, which is also used in smartphones for contactless payment, ”he added.
The outer layers of the bones are lost and renewed in the same way as the outer layers of the skin. So if a traditional adhesive were used to attach a computer to the bone, it would fall off after only a few months.
To meet this challenge, John Szivek, co-author of the study and a member of the BIO5 Institute, developed an adhesive containing calcium particles with an atomic structure similar to bone cells, which is used to fix osteosurface electronics to bones.
“The bone thinks that the device is part of it and grows with the sensor. This allows the device to form a permanent connection with the bone and take measurements over long periods of time, ”said Gutruf.
For example, a doctor may attach the device to a broken or fractured bone to monitor the healing process.
This could be especially helpful in patients with conditions such as osteoporosis, as they frequently suffer from refractories. Knowing how quickly and how well the bone heals could also help make clinical treatment decisions, such as when to remove temporary medical devices such as plates, rods, or screws.
Some patients are prescribed medications to speed up bone healing or improve bone density, but these prescriptions can have side effects. Careful bone monitoring would allow physicians to make better-informed decisions about medication dosage levels.
– .
