New 'Shape-Shifting' Material Could Reconstruct Faces by Filling Bone Defects

There may be a new material that could help reconstruct faces. Scientists have created a self-fitting material that can expand with warm salt water to precisely fill bone defects, and can even act as a scaffold for new bone growth.

Injuries, birth defects or surgery to remove a tumor can create gaps in bone that are too large to heal naturally. When these gaps occur in a person's face, it can drastically alter their appearance. Yet this new material may offer a way to reconstruct a person's features without using tradition methods, such as autografting and using bone putty.

The new material is a shape-memory polymer (SMP) that molds itself precisely to the shape of the bone defect without being brittle. Not only that, but it supports the growth of new bone tissue.

SMPs are materials whose geometry changes in response to heat. In this case, the researchers created a porous SMP foam by linking together molecules of an elastic, biodegradable substance called poly (ε-caprolactone). When this material is heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes very soft and malleable. This means that during surgery, the SMP can be heated to that temperature and fill in the defect with the softened material. When it cools to body temperature, the material can lock into place.

The scientists also tested whether the SMP scaffold could support bone cell growth by seeding the polymer with human osteoblasts. After just three days, the scientists spotted growth.

The new material could be a way to help with reconstructive surgery. In fact, it could be a major leap forward when it comes to those that suffer from defects.

"The work we've done in vitro is very encouraging," said Melissa Grunlan, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Now we'd like to move this into preclinical and, hopefully, clinical studies."