Securing Bone with Silk Screws

Mar-07-14 Screws and plates made of silk for use in healing bone fractures could provide a biocompatible alternative to their steel counterparts.

The screws and plates, created by team from Tufts University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, are very strong and can survive being subjected to body fluids and the high temperatures of the healing process. The screws will also break down after, several months, to be reabsorbed by the body, and are more flexible than steel, which reduces pain and the potential for stress fractures.

The team has had success testing the silk components on rats, and are moving on to testing them on larger animals before beginning human trials.

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